As humanity looks to phase out plastics, TSUKASA PETCO is working with industry to create sustainable, green alternatives using advanced plant-based materials.
By Daniel De Bomford and Bernard Thompson
TSUKASA PETCO Corporation is a Japanese company specializing in the import, export, and domestic distribution of compound resin raw materials and products. Due to the global push for carbon neutrality, President Eishi Morita says demand for conventional resins has fallen. “To counterbalance this shift, expanding our focus on environmentally sustainable resins—including bio-resins, recycled resins, and recyclable resins—is essential,” he says.
Partnering with the software company Sotas, TSUKASA PETCO is building an e-commerce platform centered on ASEAN that actively uses IoT technology and AI to analyze data and build a comprehensive product database. “By streamlining this process, we can enhance efficiency and provide faster, more precise solutions to our clients,” he explains.
The company is working to utilize aquatic plants like duckweed as a sustainable, innovative resource. The small, highly reproductive plant has higher protein productivity than soybeans, and changing growing conditions allow starch production. As a food, it has well-balanced nutritional value and is attracting attention as a low-impact ingredient. Since biomass cultivation and accumulation are costly, TSUKASA PETCO addresses the challenge by selecting species, optimizing the cultivation system and refining growth control. Combining duckweed with microorganisms can convert polysaccharides like starch into biodegradable plastics and create more functional polymer compounds. The company aims to offer sustainable products through resource circulation.
The company is working to commercialize Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a plant-derived biodegradable polyester plastic extracted from algae. Morita explains, “This plant-derived biodegradable plastic, produced using algae, offers a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics.”
As the company grows, TSUKASA PETCO aims to contribute to solving the microplastic challenge and create sustainable food production, helping to realize a more prosperous future.
To hear more from President Eishi Morita of TSUKASA PETCO Corporation, check out this interview with him.
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