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Promoting Environmental Initiatives for a Sustainable PlanetRecycling Resources

Encouraging the Realization of a Resource-Circulating Society

The Lion Group has divided its activities aimed at realizing a resource-circulating society into four categories, namely, input and output (encompassing business activities with direct impacts) and waste and boost (which are collaborative activities with stakeholders that contribute to the circulation of resources). We formulate and implement measures in line with these categories.

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Materials Used in the Lion Group’s Operations (INPUT)

Recycled Plastics

The Lion Group proactively uses recycled plastic in products and containers. Our liquid laundry detergent bottles and toothbrush blister packs are made with plastic recycled from disposable beverage bottles (PET bottles) and other sources.

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Main Uses of Recycled Plastics
Material Category Product name Application
Polyethylene terephthalate
PET (PCR)
Dishwashing detergent CHARMY Magica Bottle
Liquid laundry detergent TOP Clear Liquid Kaori Tsuzuku (Long-Lasting Frangrance) TOP Sweet Harmony Refill pack
Toothbrush Clinica PRO Toothbrush Rubber Head Blister dome packaging
Polyethylene
PE (PCR)
Fabric softener SOFLAN Aroma Rich SOFLAN Premium Deodorizer Bottle

Partial usage

Recycled Material Usage at Overseas Group Companies

Our overseas group companies are also expanding the use of recycled plastics in products, containers and packaging, and working to reduce the usage of petrochemical-derived materials. As an example, Lion Corporation (Korea) has adopted recycled plastics for the main bottle of “Ai-Kekute

Ai-Kekute(literally, Oh! Clean!) is a hand soap brand marketed by LCK.

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Main Uses of Recycled Plastics
Country Material Category Product name Application
South Korea Polyethylene
PE (PCR)
Hand soap Ai-Kekute Bottle
Thailand Polyethylene terephthalate
PET (PCR)
Toothbrush SYSTEMA,
SALZ,
KODOMO
Blister dome packaging

Partial usage

Using Plant-Based Materials (Biomass)

The Lion Group is promoting the use of containers and packaging made with biomass plastic. Using renewable resources helps to reduce dependence on fossil materials, thereby contributing to the realization of a sustainable society. By utilizing waste as an energy source, we are able to reduce waste and revitalize local economies as well as support the shift towards carbon neutrality.

products
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Main Uses of Biomass Plastics
Material Category Product name Application
Polyethylene terephthalate
PET
Liquid laundry detergent NANOX one Bottle
Fabric softener SOFLAN Airis
Body wash Hadakara Body Soap
Dental rinse NONIO Mouthwash
NONIO Plus Whitening Dental Rinse
CLINICA Quick Wash
SYSTEMA EX Dental Rinse
OCH TUNE Mouthwash
, etc.
Toothpaste CLINICA Advantage Toothpaste, etc. Tube
Polyethylene
PE
Liquid laundry detergent NANOX one series Refill pack
Bleach Bright STRONG
Hand soap KireiKirei Medicated Hand Conditioning Soap
Pocket Size KireiKirei Medicated Foaming Hand Soap External bag
Hand sanitizer KireiKirei Medicated Hand Sanitizing Gel Plus
Antiperspirant and deodorant Ban Sweat-Blocking Roll-On and Stick

Partial usage

Products that meet the Japan Organics Recycling Association’s requirements for certification are allowed to carry the Biomass Mark. For details, please visit the website of the Japan Organics Recycling Association [Japanese].

List of Lion's certified biomass products(The Japan Organics Recycling Association) [Japanese].

Products and Waste Generated by the Lion Group’s Operations(OUTPUT)

Reduce Plastic Usage

Reuse

The Lion Group’s plastic bottles can be refilled and reused. Because refill packs are constructed from film, they are produced using far less material than conventional product bottles. For laundry products such as laundry detergent, the production of a refill pack uses one-fourth the volume of material used in making a product bottle. Furthermore, they take up less space after use, so help reduce the volume of household waste. We are also working on creating more refillable products, expanding the categories covered to include products like mouthwash. In these ways, we are reducing the plastic we use.

Japan Soap and Detergent Association survey [Japanese]

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Reduce

To reduce product and container materials, the Lion Group complies with “The Lion Eco-Standard”, which is designed to evaluate products over their entire lifecycles by examining each life cycle stage, from raw material procurement to distribution and disposal. We are increasing the concentration of such products as laundry detergents, fabric softeners and dishwashing detergents so that their containers can be made more compact while using sophisticated design technology to reduce container weight.

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Lion’s Container and Packaging Material Usage (Domestic Household Products)

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Lion’s Use of Plastic for Packaging and Reduction Effects

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Providing Easy-to-Recycle Products

With an eye to cutting recycling costs and ensuring high-quality recycled materials, the Lion Group is striving to improving the recyclability of its products In addition, Lion is developing technologies aimed at realizing products and containers that are easier to recycle.

Commercializing Products with Better Recyclability

Many refill packs—the primary packaging used for such refillable products as detergent—are made of a multi-layered plastic film that itself is difficult to recycle, so most of them are incinerated. To address this, Lion collaborated with TOYO INK CO., LTD. to create peelable recycling technology that makes these types of refill packs easier to recycle. In November 2024, we launched a limited-edition run of LOOK Plus Bath Cleansing (Clear Citrus fragrance) in an extra-large-size refill pack created using this new technology. We expect to see recycling progress because this technology enables these types of composite materials to be separated into individual substances with high levels of purity.

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Reduction of Waste Emitted into the Environment (WASTE)

Efforts are made to ensure that the products offered by the Group are recycled in an appropriate manner after use. In addition, we conduct various activities to promote the establishment of an advanced recycling system throughout society.

Recycling

Being a specified business entity operating under the Containers and Packaging Recycling System, we contribute recycling operation contract fees. For the most recent status of operations under this system, please visit the Japan Containers and Packaging Recycling Association website.

The Japan Containers and Packaging Recycling Association [Japanese]

Amount Contributed to The Japan Containers and Packaging Recycling
Association (After payment)

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*Total contracting fees for Lion Corporation, Lion pet Co., Ltd. and Lion Dental Products Co., Ltd. are settled and finalized in the year following the year of the contract. Because of this, cost announcements are made two years after incurrence.

Working towards Advanced Recycling

Aiming to achieve a continuous cycle of plastic use in society, and to go beyond recycling in existing social infrastructures to higher quality recycling, Lion is conducting pilot testing for the recycling of used products and containers and packaging in cooperation with household product manufacturers, recyclers, retailers and local governments.

     
Main Activities
Recyclable items Activity name Area Main partners
Toothbrushes Toothbrush recycling Over 1,600 locations nationwide TerraCycle
Joint municipal toothbrush recycling Sumida-ku, Itabashi-ku, Taito-ku, Edogawa-ku and Akashi-shi Takaroku Corporation
Toothbrush recycling at educational institutions A number of private nursery schools in Saitama Prefecture Saitama Private
Kindergarten Federation
Community Net Inc.
Takaroku Corporation
Refill products RecyCreation Ito-Yokado’s Hikifune Store
Welcia Pharmacy stores (parts of Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture)
Kao
Ito-Yokado
Welcia Pharmacy Store
Hamakyorex
Kobe Plastic Next:
Joining Forces to Recycle Refill Packs
75 stores and 27 other facilities in Kobe City Kobe City
Household product manufacturers Distributors 12 recycling companies
Bottles Making New Bottles from Used Bottles Collaboration among consumers, local governments, and companies Bottle Recycling Project for Everyone Tokyo Unilever Japan
Kao Corporation
Veolia Japan G.K.
digglue Inc.

As of May 31, 2025

Promoting Circulation of Plastic Container and Packaging Resources through Partnerships

Kao Corporation and Lion are reaching out beyond their corporate groups in an effort to recycle plastic refill containers and packaging (film packaging), aiming to realize a resource-circulating society.
To accelerate the adoption of recycling, building basic systems for resource collection and developing recycling technologies are indispensable. At the same time, it is necessary to change mindsets across society in cooperation with stakeholders, including consumers, with regard to, for example, sorting plastic packaging after product use.
We work together to raise awareness about the collection system, recycled materials, container design quality, uses for recycled materials and consumer participation. We have set up special collection boxes at the Ito-Yokado Hikifune store (Sumida-ku, Tokyo) and a number of Welcia Pharmacy locations (Tokyo and some parts of Saitama prefecture) to collect used refill packs. We request that those participating in this initiative follow the rules for collection.

Video on how to wash used refill packs (Japanese)

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The process of recycling used refill packs in the RecyCreation initiative

These RecyCreation activities, along with related companies, have received the following commendations.

News Release: Kao and Lion Awarded the New Selection Committee Chairman’s Commendation in the Good Practices of Consumer-Oriented Management Awards [Japanse] News Release: Lion, Kao, Ito-Yokado, Welcia Pharmacy, and Hamakyorex Jointly Receive the Minister of Environment Award in the 6th Japan Open Innovation Prize [Japanese]

Demonstration of the Horizontal Recycling of Refill Packs

In May 2023, we launched a recycled plastic version of the XXL refill pack for Lion’s TOP SUPER NANOX For Odors, a highly concentrated liquid laundry detergent. The materials used to create the refill pack consisted in part of recycled materials from used refill packs that had been collected. (Not available at this time.)

This packaging incorporates 9% recycled materials derived from factory waste and 1% derived from recycled consumer products.

This refill pack has won the following awards together with Lion’s collaborative partners:

President of Japan Packaging Institute Award, Japan Packaging Contest 2023, Japan Packaging Institute 48th (2024) Kinoshita Award, Research and Development Category, Japan Packaging Institute 2024 WorldStar Global Packaging Award, World Packaging Organisation
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About Toothbrush Recycling

As a toothbrush manufacturer, we implement the following collection programs for used toothbrushes:

  • Toothbrush Recycling Program in collaboration with TerraCycle Japan
  • Toothbrush recycling in cooperation with local governments
  • Toothbrush recycling integrating collection with environmental and oral healthcare education

Through these activities, we aim to increase the number of toothbrushes collected and improve awareness in society that old toothbrushes can be a useful resource.

Toothbrush Recycling Program [Japanese]

Support for the Activities of Our Stakeholders (BOOST)

The Group has a wide array of frameworks in place and promotes activities to realize a resource-circulating society, a goal it cannot achieve on its own.

Groups, Activities and Initiatives Encouraging the Realization of a Resource-Circulating Society
Name of Group or Organization Title Main Goal of Activities
Japan Clean Ocean Material Alliance CLOMA Resolving problems regarding plastic waste in the ocean
Circular Partners〔Japanese〕 CPs Promoting collaboration of industry, government and academia to create a circular economy
Plastic Packaging Recycling Council〔Japanese〕 PPRC Promoting recycling of plastic packaging by collaborating with residents and local governments
Ecosystem Society Agency〔Japanese〕 ESA Working with local governments and businesses to generate social value

Unveiling “Platto Search,” an Example of an Environmentally Conscious Plan

We have published a development case for an environmentally conscious package precedent search system known as “Plastic and Search” that the Plastic Packaging Recycling Council manages.

Environmentally-Conscious Package Precedent Search System “Plastic and Search” 〔Japanese〕

“Platto Search,” Our company’s page in 2024〔Japanese〕

Reducing Waste

Zero Emissions from Operating Sites (Domestic)

Lion’s four domestic plants all achieved zero waste emissions*1 in 2002. All of Lion’s operating sites,*2 including research institutes and offices, achieved zero waste emissions in 2017.

*1 Our definition:The waste recycling ratio is 99% or more, excluding recycling residues

*2 Chiba Plant, Odawara Plant, Osaka Plant, Akashi Plant, Hirai Office Site, Sapporo Office, Sendai Office, Headquarters/Tokyo Office(Headquarters from April due to office relocation), Nagoya Office, Osaka Office, Fukuoka Office, Lion Chemical Co., Ltd. Fine Chemical Production Site, Lion Chemical Co., Ltd. Oleochemical Production Site, Lion Specialty Chemicals Co., Ltd. Yokkaichi Plant, Lion Specialty Chemicals Co., Ltd. Ono Plant

ESG Data Environment

Waste Generation (Overseas)

We will continue to advance initiatives to reduce waste going forward.

Information Regarding the Maintenance and Management Status of Industrial Waste Treatment Facilities

Maintenance and management information based on the Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law (Article 15-2-3, Paragraph 2) is made public.

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