Suntory Develops 'Teamoss,' a Soil Material Utilizing Manufacturing Residue as a Substitute for Horticultural Peat Moss
Suntory has developed 'Teamoss,' a substitute material for horticultural peat moss, utilizing manufacturing residue from its beverage factories. Aiming for environmental load reduction and resource circulation, full-scale sales are planned for 2027, with a patent pending.
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- 📰 Published: April 7, 2026 at 01:02
- 🔍 Collected: April 6, 2026 at 16:30
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 21, 2026 at 01:08 (344h 38m after Collected)
Suntory Holdings Limited (Suntory) and Suntory Flowers Ltd. (Suntory Flowers) have developed 'Teamoss,' a soil material that serves as a substitute for peat moss, widely used in horticulture, by utilizing manufacturing residue from the Suntory Group's soft drink factories.
'Teamoss' has a pending patent as an upcycled horticultural material that achieves both environmental load reduction and resource circulation.
1. Background
▼ The Need for a Sustainable Solution to Replace Peat Moss
Peat moss is a material made by drying peat, which is formed over long periods from the accumulation and decomposition of plants like mosses. Due to its high water and nutrient retention properties, it is widely used as a soil material in horticulture.
On the other hand, its extraction and mining are pointed out as problematic from an environmental perspective, as it leads to the release of carbon dioxide fixed in the soil and the destruction of wetland environments. With regulations on its mining and sale advancing, mainly in Europe, the development of alternative materials is being sought.
▼ Promotion of Upcycling Manufacturing Residue
Of the industrial waste discharged annually in Japan, waste derived from food loss and agriculture is said to account for about one-fifth*1. Much of this is incinerated or landfilled, posing a challenge from the viewpoints of environmental load reduction and resource circulation.
The Suntory Group has traditionally utilized manufacturing residue as feed and fertilizer, achieving 100% recycling. However, it positions the further effective use of residue generated in the manufacturing process as a key theme and is promoting initiatives toward a circular society through upcycling.
*1 Source: Ministry of the Environment public data
2. Initiative Details
Using green tea grounds generated from the Suntory Group's soft drink factories as the main raw material, combined with auxiliary materials like wood chips through a proprietary method (patent pending), we have succeeded in developing a new material that can substitute for peat moss as a soil material. This material's planning and development are led by Suntory Flowers, based on Suntory's sustainable agriculture and soil improvement policies.
In demonstration experiments conducted by Suntory Flowers with flower and vegetable seedlings, seedlings using 'Teamoss' showed growth equal to or greater than those using conventional peat moss under the same conditions. These results confirm that 'Teamoss' not only contributes to reducing environmental impact but is also effective as a substitute for peat moss in terms of practicality and productivity in horticultural applications. Furthermore, by utilizing manufacturing residue and being able to procure raw materials domestically, we expect it to be a product with sufficient cost competitiveness.
3. Future Plans
Going forward, we will proceed with building a manufacturing system for mass production and conducting cultivation tests on a wider range of flower and vegetable seedlings, with plans for full-scale manufacturing and sales in Japan in 2027.
We will also verify whether other manufacturing residues generated throughout the Suntory Group's supply chain, not limited to green tea grounds, can be used as raw materials for 'Teamoss.'
Furthermore, we anticipate that the demand for sustainable horticultural materials to replace peat moss will continue to expand, and we are considering overseas expansion in light of strengthening environmental regulations and the decarbonization trend in various countries.
Suntory Holdings is focusing on regenerative agriculture as one of the effective means of reducing GHG in the agricultural sector, including the use of cover crops*2, organic fertilizers, and the introduction of no-till farming.
'Teamoss' has a pending patent as an upcycled horticultural material that achieves both environmental load reduction and resource circulation.
1. Background
▼ The Need for a Sustainable Solution to Replace Peat Moss
Peat moss is a material made by drying peat, which is formed over long periods from the accumulation and decomposition of plants like mosses. Due to its high water and nutrient retention properties, it is widely used as a soil material in horticulture.
On the other hand, its extraction and mining are pointed out as problematic from an environmental perspective, as it leads to the release of carbon dioxide fixed in the soil and the destruction of wetland environments. With regulations on its mining and sale advancing, mainly in Europe, the development of alternative materials is being sought.
▼ Promotion of Upcycling Manufacturing Residue
Of the industrial waste discharged annually in Japan, waste derived from food loss and agriculture is said to account for about one-fifth*1. Much of this is incinerated or landfilled, posing a challenge from the viewpoints of environmental load reduction and resource circulation.
The Suntory Group has traditionally utilized manufacturing residue as feed and fertilizer, achieving 100% recycling. However, it positions the further effective use of residue generated in the manufacturing process as a key theme and is promoting initiatives toward a circular society through upcycling.
*1 Source: Ministry of the Environment public data
2. Initiative Details
Using green tea grounds generated from the Suntory Group's soft drink factories as the main raw material, combined with auxiliary materials like wood chips through a proprietary method (patent pending), we have succeeded in developing a new material that can substitute for peat moss as a soil material. This material's planning and development are led by Suntory Flowers, based on Suntory's sustainable agriculture and soil improvement policies.
In demonstration experiments conducted by Suntory Flowers with flower and vegetable seedlings, seedlings using 'Teamoss' showed growth equal to or greater than those using conventional peat moss under the same conditions. These results confirm that 'Teamoss' not only contributes to reducing environmental impact but is also effective as a substitute for peat moss in terms of practicality and productivity in horticultural applications. Furthermore, by utilizing manufacturing residue and being able to procure raw materials domestically, we expect it to be a product with sufficient cost competitiveness.
3. Future Plans
Going forward, we will proceed with building a manufacturing system for mass production and conducting cultivation tests on a wider range of flower and vegetable seedlings, with plans for full-scale manufacturing and sales in Japan in 2027.
We will also verify whether other manufacturing residues generated throughout the Suntory Group's supply chain, not limited to green tea grounds, can be used as raw materials for 'Teamoss.'
Furthermore, we anticipate that the demand for sustainable horticultural materials to replace peat moss will continue to expand, and we are considering overseas expansion in light of strengthening environmental regulations and the decarbonization trend in various countries.
Suntory Holdings is focusing on regenerative agriculture as one of the effective means of reducing GHG in the agricultural sector, including the use of cover crops*2, organic fertilizers, and the introduction of no-till farming.