Kyocera Introduces Plastic-Free Retail Packaging for Ceramic Knives & Kitchenware
San Diego, Calif., Feb. 17, 2023 – Kyocera, a leader in ceramic cutlery since 1984, will introduce 100% plastic-free packaging for its line of ceramic knives and kitchen tools during the U.S. Natural Products Expo West 2023 in Anaheim, Calif., March 9-11, 2023 (Booth 3425, Hall D). The new packaging is part of Kyocera’s global sustainability commitment, and will reduce the company’s total plastics use by more than 20 tons per year — a CO2 reduction impact equal to more than 570,000 trees — from packaging ceramic knives and kitchen products alone.*
Globally, Kyocera has formulated a long-term plastic recycling and elimination strategy in line with the Osaka G20 recommendations, aiming to eliminate new plastic pollution in the marine environment by 2050. Kyocera strives to assess the sustainability of all products during the development phase, using the following three criteria:
- Global Warming Prevention and Energy Saving
- Resource Recycling
- Environmental Conservation and Product Safety
As a result, the plastics-reduction initiative will expand beyond consumer products to become an important part of Kyocera’s environmental preservation efforts in all product divisions in the future.
Emphasizing Both Sustainability and Safety
When redesigning the ceramic knife and kitchen tools packaging to eliminate plastic, sustainability and safety were key priorities. This required a complete package redevelopment to ensure that the ultra-sharp ceramic knives would remain secured safely in place by the new paper and cardboard materials, as they did with plastic. The new interior cardboard inlay holds the knives securely in place, protects the blades in transit, and can be repurposed to store the knife after purchase. The colorful new packaging emphasizes whole-foods cooking and the key benefits of using ceramic knives for easy meal preparation — including new pictograms highlighting “hand-sharpened blades”, “dishwasher safe”, “lightweight” and “extremely sharp”. The new packaging will be available in four languages (English, Spanish, French and German), and will roll out in retail channels selling Kyocera’s ceramic knives first in key markets of the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania beginning in late spring 2023. Kyocera’s mandoline slicers, peelers and graters will begin adopting the new plastic-free packaging in late summer.
Sustainable Innovation with Kyocera
In 2022, the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBT) recognized Kyocera for expanding its environmental preservation efforts with aggressive new goals. Kyocera's latest targets (by FY2031) include reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 46% from FY2020 levels and increasing renewable energy adoption by 20x from FY2014 levels; in addition, by FY2050, the company plans to achieve full carbon neutrality. Developing innovative and sustainable ceramic tools for the home has been important to Kyocera since it entered the ceramic consumer products market in 1984.
The company’s drive to make high-quality products for the betterment of society reflects the philosophy of its founder, the late Dr. Kazuo Inamori, and his lifelong belief that “people have no higher calling than to strive for the greater good of humankind and society.” In 2020, The Wall Street Journal named Kyocera as one of the “100 Most Sustainably Managed Companies in the World.” Additionally, for three consecutive years, Kyocera has been included in “The A-List” by the international non-profit CDP for combatting climate change. Kyocera’s first Bio-Series eco-friendly knives were introduced in 2021 with 100% recyclable packaging, and handles made with a bio-derived material (sugarcane). Across product lines, Kyocera’s aggressive R&D labs have generated sustainability-promoting innovations for industry, solar energy, fuel cells, power storage, virtual power plants, renewable energy management systems, office document solutions, inkjet printing, and more. The company’s active and pending patents number in the thousands.
“Environmental preservation has been a core tenet at Kyocera for decades, and we try to pursue sustainability in ways that don’t impose new challenges on the consumer,” said Masato Matsumoto, Department Manager of the Application Products Division of Kyocera Corporation. “As a result, we’ve prioritized ways to promote sustainability and mindful cooking without sacrificing our product’s performance or the user’s convenience. We hope this plastic-free packaging will let consumers reduce their environmental impact with no lifestyle compromises whatsoever.”
*Based on Kyocera’s research (Jan. 2023)
Kyocera Corporation (TOKYO:6971, https://global.kyocera.com/), the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of fine ceramics (also known as “advanced ceramics”). By combining these engineered materials with metals and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera has become a leading supplier of industrial and automotive components, semiconductor packages, electronic devices, smart energy systems, printers, copiers, and mobile phones. During the year ended March 31, 2022, the company’s consolidated sales revenue totaled 1.8 trillion yen (approx. US$15.1 billion). Kyocera is ranked #665 on Forbes magazine’s 2022 “Global 2000” list of the world’s largest publicly traded companies, and has been named by The Wall Street Journal among “The World’s 100 Most Sustainably Managed Companies.”
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