Irplast of TOPPAN Group Wins Silver at 'Sustainability Design Award' at interpack 2026

Irplast S.p.A. (headquarters: Tuscany, Italy; CEO: Fausto Cosi), an Italian film manufacturer under TOPPAN Inc. (headquarters: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Haruhiko Noguchi), a group company of TOPPAN Holdings, has won the Silver Award in the 'Sustainability Design Award' at 'interpack 2026' (*1), the world's largest international packaging trade fair held in Düsseldorf, Germany.

This award was conducted as part of the 'SAVE FOOD' initiative promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and others to reduce food loss. Over 100 cutting-edge packaging solutions from exhibitors were entered, and this product received high praise.

The award-winning product is the 'Recyclable Retortable Monomaterial Pouch,' which was recognized for the high technological capabilities and environmental contributions of the TOPPAN Group's European bases. This product was realized through the collaboration of Irplast's technology and the barrier technology of TOPPAN Packaging Czech s.r.o. (headquarters: Most, Czech Republic; President: Hiroyuki Kawamoto; hereinafter TCZ), another TOPPAN Group company and a production base for barrier films in Europe.

■ Product Overview and Features

The pouch that won the Silver Award is a package made of polypropylene (PP) monomaterial, which offers excellent recyclability, while maintaining barrier properties equivalent to conventional composite material structures and the resistance required for high-temperature, high-pressure retort sterilization.

・Establishment of excellent heat resistance and outer layer strength through 'LISIM' technology

The outer layer film of the pouch uses a high-heat-resistant BOPP film produced by Irplast's proprietary simultaneous biaxial stretching technology 'LISIM' (*2). This ensures shape stability and adhesion stability even under retort sterilization conditions of 137°C for up to 60 minutes. It achieves both monomaterial specifications and high outer layer strength and printability.

・Achieving aluminum-free design with excellent barrier performance

By utilizing the PP grade of 'GL BARRIER' (*3), a transparent barrier film developed by TOPPAN's proprietary technology and produced by TCZ, this product enables long-term storage at room temperature without using aluminum foil. This contributes to reducing food loss from the supply chain to households and also provides the convenience of microwave compatibility.

・Compliance with environmental regulations through monomaterialization

The shift from conventional composite structures combining different materials, including aluminum foil, contributes to reducing environmental impact. The design also considers compatibility with PP collection and recycling routes being developed in Europe and other regions.

■ Future Outlook

This product is designed with 'regulatory compliance' in mind, anticipating the strengthening of global environmental regulations such as the European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). The company aims to expand into areas requiring retort sterilization and recyclability, such as baby food, retort foods, and sauces.

Under its medium-term management plan 'True Value Transformation,' the TOPPAN Group will continue to provide sustainable packaging solutions that accelerate the realization of a circular economy, utilizing a local production for local consumption supply chain that caters to the European and global markets.

*1 'interpack 2026':

Dates: Thursday, May 7, 2026 – Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Venue: Messe Düsseldorf

Organizer: Messe Duesseldorf GmbH

Official website: https://www.interpack.com/

*2 'LISIM': A simultaneous biaxial stretching technology from Bruckner introduced by Irplast, which contributes to customers' transition to PP monomaterial specifications.

URL: https://www.irplast.com/bopp-film-division/

*3 'GL BARRIER': A generic term for transparent barrier films with excellent barrier properties developed by TOPPAN. It features a multi-layer structure combining a unique coating layer and a high-quality vapor deposition layer, providing stable barrier performance. Its many excellent properties are highly evaluated, and it is used in a wide range of fields from food to medical/pharmaceutical and industrial materials. By combining the functions of both a printing substrate and a barrier substrate, it enables the replacement of aluminum foil and rationalization of layer structure.

URL: https://www.toppan.com/en/living-industry/packaging/products/barrier_film/

* The product and service names mentioned in this news release are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

* The information contained in this news release is current as of the date of announcement and is subject to change without notice.