Kaneka Highlights Green Planet™ as a Pioneering Biodegradable Innovation at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai
Kaneka Corporation has announced its active participation in Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai as a supporting and sponsoring company of the Japan Pavilion. At the heart of its involvement is the spotlight on KANEKA Biodegradable Polymer Green Planet™—an innovative, next-generation material designed to revolutionize the future of sustainable plastics.
Green Planet™: A Technology Rooted in Circular Design
Kaneka’s Green Planet™ is not just another biodegradable plastic—it represents a significant leap toward realizing a circular economy. Derived from renewable biomass materials and capable of utilizing CO₂ as a raw material, Green Planet is engineered to be broken down by naturally occurring microorganisms. Whether in soil or seawater, it decomposes into harmless byproducts—carbon dioxide and water—leaving behind no microplastics or toxic residues.
The development of Green Planet is part of Kaneka’s broader commitment to addressing the environmental crises associated with traditional petroleum-based plastics. These conventional materials persist in the environment for hundreds of years and contribute significantly to land, marine, and atmospheric pollution. Green Planet offers a real-world, scalable alternative that can perform similarly to petroleum-based plastics but without the long-term environmental costs.
A Strategic Showcase at Expo 2025
The Japan Pavilion at Expo 2025 will be a platform for the country to communicate its vision for a sustainable and interconnected future under the overarching theme: “Between Lives.” This theme is expressed through three distinct conceptual zones within the pavilion—the Plant Area, the Farm Area, and the Factory Area. Each of these sections will demonstrate Japan’s cutting-edge technologies and design philosophy emphasizing coexistence, regeneration, and cyclical systems.
Kaneka’s Green Planet will feature prominently in both the Farm Area and the Plant Area:
- In the Farm Area, visitors will be introduced to vessels made from Green Planet, with an innovative twist: the raw material for these vessels includes carbon dioxide contained in gas cylinders. These vessels will serve as a tangible demonstration of how greenhouse gases can be captured and turned into valuable, functional, and environmentally responsible materials.
- In the Plant Area, the exhibition will visually narrate the end-of-life process of Green Planet products. Through an aquarium installation, visitors will watch simulations of Green Planet-made vessels being biodegraded by microorganisms. As the material breaks down, it reverts to its fundamental natural components—CO₂ and water—underscoring the material’s fully circular lifecycle.
By bringing this experience to life, Kaneka invites visitors to reflect on how even something as seemingly mundane as plastic can be reimagined to support ecological regeneration instead of degradation.
Engaging the Public with Purpose
To further reinforce its environmental messaging and engage visitors meaningfully, Kaneka will distribute clear folders made from Green Planet™ at the Japan Pavilion. These folders will be available to visitors in the Farm Area from April 13 through mid-June. Far from being ordinary promotional giveaways, these items serve as interactive tools—daily-use objects that let visitors take a piece of sustainable innovation home. By using these folders, visitors will not only witness the strength and clarity of the material but also participate in the shift toward environmentally conscious consumer behavior.
These gifts carry symbolic and educational value. In a world where most plastic giveaways contribute to the global waste problem, Kaneka’s approach stands in sharp contrast, emphasizing responsible production and consumption—one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
A Broader Commitment to the SDGs
In addition to its presence at the Japan Pavilion, Green Planet will also be featured at the SDGs exhibition corner within the ORA Gaishoku Pavilion “UTAGE,” operated by the Osaka Restaurant Management Association (located in Naniwa-ku, Osaka City). From June 8 to June 21, Green Planet will be introduced as a key material contributing to both carbon recycling and the mitigation of marine plastic pollution.
Restaurants and food service industries are major users of disposable plastics, and showcasing Green Planet in this context is a powerful way to introduce sustainable alternatives into everyday life. By focusing on how Green Planet can replace single-use plastics in food packaging and utensils, the exhibit at UTAGE aligns with the broader goal of reducing the carbon and waste footprints of one of Japan’s most vibrant sectors.
Backed by Innovation and National Sustainability Goals
The advancement of Green Planet is deeply intertwined with national policy and research initiatives. Kaneka is participating in the “Green Innovation Fund Project,” which is managed by NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization). One of the themes adopted by this fund is the “Development of Polymer Synthesis Technology by Microorganisms Using CO₂ as Direct Raw Materials.” This research effort aims to push the boundaries of carbon recycling by directly synthesizing useful polymers from carbon dioxide using microorganisms—a cutting-edge convergence of biotechnology and sustainability.
The March 22, 2023 news release from Kaneka highlights its selection for this project and reaffirms its role as a key player in Japan’s innovation ecosystem. As environmental pressures mount and global governments enact stricter regulations on plastic usage, the work Kaneka is doing under this initiative places it ahead of the curve, both in terms of compliance and corporate social responsibility.
“Wellness First”: A Philosophy for the Planet
Kaneka’s corporate mission, “KANEKA thinks ‘Wellness First’,” isn’t limited to personal health and well-being—it extends to the wellness of communities and the planet. By integrating wellness into its product development philosophy, Kaneka promotes solutions that are both technologically advanced and ecologically balanced.
Through its participation in Expo 2025, Kaneka is offering a clear vision of how science, sustainability, and design can converge to build a future where materials serve both people and the planet. This isn’t just about reducing harm—it’s about creating systems that actively restore and renew. Green Planet exemplifies this vision: born from nature, used by people, and returned to the Earth in harmony with natural cycles.
Final Thoughts: Shaping the Future, One Biopolymer at a Time
Kaneka’s showcase at Expo 2025 is more than a company exhibit—it’s a manifesto for material innovation in the age of climate urgency. As thousands of visitors from around the globe gather in Osaka, they’ll encounter not just a biodegradable polymer, but a beacon of possibility for a cleaner, more responsible future.
From educational installations and interactive demonstrations to SDGs-focused partnerships and real-world applications, Green Planet is positioned not just as a product, but as a movement—one that Kaneka is proud to lead on both a national and global stage.
