There is increasing demand from the printing industry - particularly printers and ink and paint manufacturers - for silver ink metallic pigments that do not contain the volatile solvent toluene. In a joint initiative with leading manufacturers, we have achieved the long-awaited breakthrough of a toluene-free aluminum paste, which is now widely used in silver inks.
Sealed pouches, widely used for ramen noodles, snacks and pre-cooked meals, are normally produced via photogravure printing on plastic film. Toluene-free silver ink accounted for 61% of the domestic market in photogravure silver ink. The proportion is steadily increasing, and with it our sales volumes in this segment.
We are proud to have developed an environmentally-friendly toluene-free paste product for printing applications, and we will continue to recommend it in the future, as part of our contribution to reducing the environmental impact of human endeavor.

We deal with over 2,000 clients in a range of industries including health care, pharmaceuticals, food, automobiles and home appliances. As such, our operations are subject to a variety of environmental regulations and guidelines, including domestic laws such as the PRTR (Pollutant Release and Transfer Register) Law and the PL (Product Liability) Act, industry-specific regulations such as JAMP (Joint Article Management Promotion) and GADSL (Global Automotive Declarable Substance List), and international regulations such as REACH (Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals). We are committed to compliance with environmental regulations and standards in all countries and territories.