The Kuraray Group operates with the conviction that sustainability initiatives will lead to the prosperity of society.
We will harness our unique products and cleaner technologies to improve the natural environment and enhance quality of life for people everywhere.
This time, we would like to introduce our DRIFISTA™ PLA grade nonwoven fabric for coffee filters made of biomass materials.
Development Background
Recently, Coffee 2050 Problem is the subject among the coffee industry.
As coffee trees grow in hot areas, you may think they are heat-tolerant plants.
But in fact, it is vulnerable to adverse effects from climate change, and rising temperatures will reduce the suitable growing area for general distributed Arabica coffee beans by up to 50% by 2050.
In Japan, the demand is 300 cups per person per year, large demand after Europe and the United States,
and demand is also increasing worldwide, especially in Asia.
If Coffee 2050 Problem occurs in such situation, the balance between demand and supply will definitely be disrupted due to the decrease in cultivated land.
Against this background, the coffee industry was eager to take action on climate change.
Drip coffee filters are mainly made of polypropylene (PP), which is a fossil-derived material that is an issue in climate change measures. Therefore, as an alternative, we embarked a biodegradable coffee filter using meltblown nonwoven fabric made from plant-derived PLA such as corn and sugarcane, which we had been developing at Kuraflex for some time.
Characteristics of PLA compared to PP
PLA contributes to reducing the use of fossil-derived raw materials and to reducing waste through decomposting in soil.
It is a renewable plant-based material that can be used to reduce CO2 emissions.
As a result, it can be provided to customers as an environmentally friendly material.
Our PLA meltblown nonwoven is registered on the Positive List of "Biodegradable Plastics" and "Biomass Plastics" of the Japan BioPlastics Association.
DRIFISTA™ PLA grade will contribute to the promotion of SDGs as a filter.
We can also design detailed specifications to meet your needs.
Contact us for more information