Less Weight, Less Carbon is one of the key phrases of the Rengo Group, where we aim to make ideal corrugated board that is light, strong, thin, and slimline while also being low in CO2 emissions and even kinder to the environment. A good example of this is the Fukushima-Yabuki Plant—the ideal corrugated plant for the 21st century for the production of Less Weight, Less Carbon corrugated board—which opened in May 2010 at Yabuki-machi in Nishishirakawa-gun, Fukushima Prefecture (photos 30 and 31). This plant features a total of around 9,000 solar panels that supply solar power for all of the plant’s daytime electricity needs and also uses liquid natural gas (LNG) for the boiler fuel. The Fukushima-Yabuki Plant represents the crystallization of Rengo’s expertise in environmental technology in relation to resource and energy conservation that has accumulated up until now, and also serves as a symbol for Rengo, which views the preservation of the global environment as our most important management task. As a top environmentally friendly corrugated plant with a focus on preventing the effects of global warming, the Fukushima-Yabuki Plant contains state-of-the-art facilities with high energy conservation abilities as well as an advanced production management system. By carrying out integrated production of a variety of products ranging from high quality corrugated boards to various types of corrugated boxes, and by implementation of thorough environmental measures, CO2 emissions have been reduced by around 40% compared to the previous Koriyama Plant (before the plant was moved).
In the future as well, the Rengo Group will continue to provide optimum packaging that is highly efficient and kind to the environment in terms of the conservation of resources and energy, based on our key phrase of “Less Weight, Less Carbon” and as part of the Less Weight, Less Carbon project. In order to make corrugated board even lighter, we have already developed Lower Cost & Carbon Containerboard (LCC) and are promoting C-flute corrugated board under the slogan “Lighter Weight for a Brighter Tomorrow.” Such initiatives allow us to continue to serve as an industry leader.

In April 2011, with its focus on the next 100 years, Rengo proclaimed its new corporate slogan of becoming a “General Packaging Industry.” Over time, in addition to their fundamental functions of product packaging and protection, corrugated board and other packaging materials have incorporated decoration and printed information on their surfaces. As such, they have the potential for further advances in the future as tools enabling people to communicate with one another. The Rengo Group defines itself as a “General Packaging Industry” that creates new value in packaging in a wider range of fields and actively proposes solutions to fulfill all the packaging needs of various industries through continual changes in thinking and innovation. Concentrating on its six core business fields of paperboard, corrugated packing, folding cartons, flexible packaging, heavy duty packaging, and overseas operations, Rengo will continually commit to being active and taking on new challenges both in Japan and worldwide in order to meet customer packaging needs at a global level.