Seiko Epson Corporation announced that its high-performance cushioning material made from used copier paper has won a WorldStar Global Packaging Awards 2024 in the ‘Electronics’ category. This is the second time that Epson has received a WorldStar Award, the first being in 2007 for ink packaging for large-format inkjet printers. The award ceremony was held in Bangkok, Thailand, on 15 June, 2024.
The WorldStar Awards are organized by the World Packaging Organisation (WPO), an international federation of packaging institutes, associations, federations, and other interested parties. Packages that have won awards at national and regional packaging contests can be entered. Winners are selected based on an assessment of the packaging technology and design excellence.
In the past, Epson has used petroleum-derived materials for cushioning used in packaging precision equipment such as printers, but 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 Fiber Technology is used to reduce the paper to fibers with very little water and to mold the fibers 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 was presented in recognition of Epson’ packaging technology excellence and environmental initiatives.
The award-winning packaging material has also won the President of Japan Productivity Center for Socio-Economic Development Award, one of the 12 most prestigious awards in the Japan Packaging Contest 2023 organized by the Japan Packaging Institute. It also won an award in the “Transportation Package” category in the AsiaStar 2023 Awards organized by the Asian Packaging Federation. The WorldStar Global Packaging Awards 2024 in the ‘Electronics’ category marks the third time that Epson’s packaging technology and environmental initiatives have been widely recognized in Japan, Asia, and around the world.
Epson will continue its efforts to reduce, reuse, and recycle resources in the packaging sector. The Japanese multinational will actively circulate resources by applying Dry Fiber 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 its corporate vision titled Epson 25 Renewed.
