Help the Aged: Tokyo Pack 2014 focuses on Japan’s aging population
Organised by the Japan Packaging Institute (JPI), the show will feature 654 companies and is expected to attract more than 70,000 visitors.
The day before the show there will be an orientation talk called Packaging Insight Japan Tour 2014, which will provide information on Japan’s packaging industry, including packaging trends, market drivers and statistics.
Stuart Hoggard president of the International Packaging Press Organisation and one of the speakers at the Packaging Insight Japan Tour spoke to FoodProductionDaily.com about some of the current packaging trends in Japan
Environmental legislation drives R&D investment
He said trends are being led by the need to solve issues facing the industry in Japan like environmental legislation.
“Since it was passed in 2002, Japan’s Containers & Packaging Law has regulated packaging production by imposing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees. The issue for industry is to meet its EPR obligation while minimising the fees due,” Hoggard said.
“This has led to huge investments in R&D to develop new materials, migrate products from one pack format to alternatives which attract lower fees per packaged unit,” he added.
Another issue for packaging manufacturers in Japan is the aging population and increase in single-person households.
“Single-person elderly households (with one partner having died) are on the increase. Householders require smaller single portion packs or resealable packs,” Hoggard said.
“Elderly consumers also prefer to shop on a daily basis, doing the ‘weekly shop’ is not common in Japan. To meet this pattern of consumption convenience stores like 7-11 and Lawsons are locating closer to where people live,” he added.
The elderly shop for smaller packs, in C-Stores…
“These stores have smaller floor space with less shelf-space – packs tend to have a smaller footprint on the shelf than in the West,” Hoggard said.
This year’s Tokyo Pack will feature new exhibition called The Next Generation High Performance Packaging Pavilion covering emerging packaging technology – with a focus on extending shelf life, sustainable and bio-based materials and new printing technology.
One of the food packaging company’s taking part is Japan’s Ecodpack Co. The company will showcase its sprout-integrated pouch.
The pouch, which is designed for liquid food and beverages, has a reduced package weight to save on raw material usage and a special mechanism to prevent air from flowing in.
Meanwhile US company PopPack will exhibit at Tokyo Pack for the first time, demonstrating its re-closable ‘PopPack bubble’ in the Pavilion.
PopPack bubble, designed for flexible packaging, opens with a popping sound to provide customers with assurance that the contents are fresh.
The company hopes to find business partners at Tokyo Pack to help introduce its product to the Japanese market.
Other exhibitions taking place at the event include The Evolution of Packaging Corner, Global Packaging Pavilion, 3R Sustainable Packaging Pavilion and Japan Good Packaging Contest and Japan Star 2014 Awards.
For more information visit http://www.tokyo-pack.jp/en/
