Epson’s high-performance cushioning material made from used copier paper has won a WorldStar Global Packaging Award in the Electronics category.
This is the second time Epson has received a WorldStar Award, the first being in 2007 for ink packaging for large-format inkjet printers.
This award marks the third time that Epson's packaging technology and environmental initiatives have been widely recognised in Japan, Asia, and around the world.
In the past, Epson has used petroleum-derived materials for cushioning used in packaging precision equipment such as printers. Since than, Epson has developed eco-conscious paper-based cushioning materials to circulate resources.
This cushioning material is made from used copier paper collected within an internal wastepaper collection system. Epson's proprietary Dry Fibre Technology is used to reduce the paper to fibres with very little water and to mould the fibres into cushioning materials with the optimal configuration to absorb shocks.
Performance-wise, these cushions have shock-absorbing properties that are equivalent or superior to those of high-performance petroleum-derived cushioning materials, and since there is no need to change the cushioning distance and the size of the retail boxes, they use resources effectively and are being used as cushions in printer packages.
Additionally, since the packaging is entirely paper-based, it can be disassembled to reduce volume for disposal and recycling.
The award-winning packaging material has also won the President of Japan Productivity Centre for Socio-Economic Development Award, one of the 12 most prestigious awards in the Japan Packaging Contest 2023 organised by the Japan Packaging Institute. It also won an award in the Transportation Package category in the AsiaStar 2023 Awards organised by the Asian Packaging Federation.
Epson will continue its efforts to reduce, reuse, and recycle resources in the packaging sector. The company will actively circulate resources by applying Dry Fibre Technology in the environmental sector and by developing raw material recycling and other environmental technology.
Epson is also committed to achieving sustainability and enriching communities as set forth in the Epson 25 Renewed corporate vision.
The WorldStar Awards are organised by the World Packaging Organisation (WPO), an international federation of packaging institutes, associations, and other interested parties.
