COMPANIES

COMPANIES

TOKAI ECOBOARD Co., Ltd.

Promoting SBT initiatives with novel recycled materials
Our company contributes to an ecologically oriented society with transport pallets and disaster response supplies.

TOKAI ECOBOARD Co., Ltd. began focusing on environmental issues about 30 years ago. Through our technological development aimed at helping to bring about a recycling-oriented society, we developed a material called ECO BOARD. We succeeded in mass-producing Ecoboard, and with a passion for solving issues in various manufacturing industries—especially for logistics-related companies—we have been promoting its use for around 20 years. One of the founding principles of our company is having a fair, unbiased spirit. We are achieving open-minded impartiality by being environmentally conscious across the board through the manufacture, processing, and sale of ECO BOARD and ECO BOARD-related products.


Patented technology results in the strongest eco-materials. The structure of ECO BOARD and other Tokai Ecoboard products are based on the company's own original patents. Unlike ordinary cardboard, the corrugated sheets are arranged perpendicularly and securely bonded to the top and bottom of the board surface, ensuring unmatched strength and sturdiness.

Specific applications for ECO BOARD Our ECO BOARD is the result of over 25 years of research and development.
The board's special structure gives it the ability to withstand a compression load 700 kg per 10 square centimeters while retaining cardboard's original characteristics of lighter weight, ease of processing, and thermal insulation.
This gives it to applications in a variety of fields, including transport pallets, cushioning materials, partitions, and flooring, while also providing freedom in design. In addition, the boards can be used during disasters as partitions for private spaces, changing rooms, nursing rooms, and other spaces, and can be used for sleeping areas in evacuation shelters as well.

Contributing to a recycling-oriented society with ECO BOARD ECO BOARD's greatest advantage for the oncoming recycling-oriented society is the fact it is 100% recyclable. ECO BOARD's usage cycle is described below.
Design and Production
• Uses recycled paper waste
• Manufactured with minimal raw material waste
Distribution and Retail Sales
• Lightweight, which reduces fuel consumption during transportation
Use
• Enables freedom in design
• Safe due to nonuse of polluting substances; requires no fumigation
Recovery
• Ensures a stable recovery path for waste paper
Recycling
• Initiatives to improve the quality of recycled materials and to review and reduce the amount of energy resources used in the recycling process.
The cardboard recycling system relies on the close relationship between the wastepaper, paper manufacturing, and cardboard industries.
As a member of this system, we continue striving to reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions and help achieve a low-carbon society.

SDGs and SBT initiatives also involving logistics As one aspect of our efforts to promote the SDGs, Tokai Ecoboard holds lectures and other events for employees, providing each employee with opportunities to consider how we can meet each of the SDG targets. We also strive to make our customers know that using our paper pallets contributes to carbon neutrality. Our sales promotion aims to support the development of a circular economy, helping achieve multiple SDG goals.
Additionally, there is an estimated difference of over 200 kg between wooden pallets and ECO BOARD pallets when used in one oversized hauling truck. Reducing fuel consumption during transport simultaneously reduces greenhouse gas emissions from ICE vehicles. We have partnered with logistics companies to create a group offering comprehensive support from packaging to storage and delivery, while raising environmental awareness across the group.

Production Examples

  • Bulk packaging for automotive parts

    This is a packing material to be used in bulk-type packaging for shipping disk-shaped auto parts. The design had to take into account the size of the outer frame specified by the customer. In cases where the required quantity of packing boxes was placed according to product size, there was a large gap on the left and right sides of the frame. We proposed a corrugated board with a structure that could fill in the gaps, making the package resistant to lateral vibration. The product was adopted after rigorous vibration tests under harsh conditions.

  • Bulk packaging for marine bearings

    In the past, a wooden box was made for packing each product. In response to customer demand for more versatile packaging with environmentally friendly materials, we developed packaging combining our ECO BOARD pallets and our corrugated cardboard products. The pallet blocks are made of our patented high-strength corrugated cardboard rolls. This material can withstand concentrated weight/loads with little worry of damage to the blocks during loading and unloading. They can help with reducing man-hours, and where there used to be 30 types of wooden pallets, there are now only six types.

  • Film packaging set for flat stacking

    This packing material is used for the overseas transport of two heavy roll-shaped items on a single pallet. These are the highest-strength pallets among all our original ECO BOARD pallets. They can be used for stacked storage and/or transport by using in combination with our reinforced corrugated cardboard. Since they began being used over 10 years ago, there have been no issues with the use of these pallets.

  • Core material for meeting tables

    Our originally-developed ECO BOARD is also used as the core material for tables. Often, the core material used for meeting tables is plywood. The tables can be folded for compact storage, but are very heavy. ECO BOARD is excellent as a substitute for plywood because it has the hardness of wood, but is made of lightweight corrugated cardboard.

  • Pallets for transporting meat processors

    Processing machinery that when loaded tends to have concentrated weight, could only be transported on wooden pallets. Now, however, they can be transported on a combination of our original ECO BOARD pallets and corrugated cardboard blocks that are 100% recyclable, lightweight, and do not require nailing. Because of ECO BOARD's strength in resistance to bend/flex as well as flat pressure, there is no sagging when lifted and no need to worry about cargo collapsing.

Company Profile

Company Name TOKAI ECOBOARD Co., Ltd.
Founded 2001
Capital 60 million yen
Head Office 907, Hanasakidai 2-chome, Moriyama-ku, Nagoya, 463-0808 Japan
Representative Hisafumi Yoshi, President
Number of Employees 16
Business Activities Manufacture and sales of ECO BOARD (3D-structure flat boards made of cardboard)
【Products】
・ECO BOARD: Pallets, Bulk packaging, ECO BOARD punching, ECO BOARD blocks, Corrugated cardboard rolls, ECO BOARD partitions for disaster shelters, ECO BOARD changing rooms, and ECO BOARD flooring materials

Responding to climate change

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions

Acquisition of the Science Based Targets (SBT) certification for Small and medium-sized enterprises

【Reduction targets】

●Reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 42% compared to 2021 by 2030

●Identify and reduce Scope 3 emissions

* The above targets are certified at the most ambitious 1.5°C level that can be certified under the current process.


Base year GHG inventory

CO2 emissions of the base year are as follows.

Base Year: 2022

●Scope1：96.0 tCO2

●Scope2：66.0 tCO2


Analysis of risks and opportunities stemming from future climate change

We have assumed the following risks andcorresponding opportunities associated with future climate change scenarios.


【Risks】

●Delays in procurement and delivery due to logistics stoppages caused by urban flooding, etc.

●Spiking costs due to increased demand for recycled materials

●Increased labor and outsourcing costs due to policies and regulations mandating greater information disclosure


【Opportunities】

●Use of low-carbon energy sources based on the development of new technologies stabilizes fuel costs and facilitates sustainable management.

●Current leading products use recycled materials, reducing the costs of introducing new technologies.

●The rising number of customers aware of climate change risks will increase demands for the transportation sector to save weight of logistics materials. It will create an environment that can highlight our products’ strengths.

●Highlighting products that are useful in times of disaster will help promote development of disaster response and mitigation measures in each region.


Interview

Background on Participation in this Project

Environmental considerations have recently included a greater focus on carbon neutrality, along with changes in the actions to take. As a company that sells 100% recyclable products, we have been keeping pace with these trends by accelerating our environmental initiatives. We aim to contribute to realizing a low-carbon society, while aligning these measures with our corporate branding.

Findings and impressions after participating

I think that working on this project has enabled us to visualize—and thereby create one indicator of—our company’s CO2 emissions. We had researched the issue beforehand and recognized that visualization of CO2 emissions is essential in acquiring SBT certification. Once we participated in this project, we were surprised at how closely linked it is to accounting data and sales data, and we realized that it was necessary to study methods of collecting data on a daily basis. Additionally, in acquiring SBT certification, we were able to get expert advice with the application in English, which allowed us to work without anxiety.

Future proposals from our company

We have come to market ourselves as an environmentally friendly company. One of our major challenges was to visualize our initiatives to achieve carbon neutrality, and then take that first step. Working on this project has enabled us to create an indicator through visualization of our CO2 emissions. We will go forward step by step as we work on reducing emissions, combining energy conservation and renewable energy. Furthermore, for many of our clients who are manufacturers in various industries, we would like to take an active approach in public relations and enhance trust in our company, disclosing the results from this project.