Material Week Tokyo 2026 live: Oji showcases bio-based materials to replace plastic cushioning

Oji Holdings, one of Japan's largest paper, pulp, and packaging companies, is presenting an array of solutions at the ongoing Highly-Functional Material Week in Tokyo 2026 (September 30 – October 2). 

On the show floor, Packaging Insights catches up with Vipavan Sae Gang, manager at Oji Paper, a subsidiary of Oji Holdings, to discuss the company's material innovations, which span food containers for fresh food products and fabrics aimed at replacing conventional bubble wrap. 

At the forefront of the paper manufacturer’s developments is its range of nonwoven fabric packaging materials using its air-laid technology. 

Oji’s air-laid technology is a process for making porous nonwoven materials by using air to distribute fibers into a sheet structure, rather than using water as in traditional papermaking. 

One product, Kinarito, is a nonwoven fabric derived from wood pulp, and used for heat-press-molded gift boxes and embossed labels. 

“The environmentally friendly material allows products to be made into odd-shaped or customized packaging, making it suitable for premium product packaging designs,” Sae Gang tells us. 

Oji’s wood pulp-based Kinarito can be molded into customized shapes for premium gift packaging.She highlights a shell-shaped packaging box for gifts or luxury items. Increasingly, packagers are innovating customizable packaging options that also use sustainable materials or reduced waste options. 

Replacing plastic bubble wrap 

Another product made using air-laid technology is the HyBioth, a biodegradable and water-soluble nonwoven fabric, used for the packaging and cushioning of electronic products. The solution boasts “outstanding” water retention and protection properties, according to Oji Paper. 

“For packaging electronic devices, bubble wrap is traditionally used,” Sae Gang explains. 

“Now, biodegradable packaging made with HyBioth can be recycled. After collection and recycling, it can be processed again into raw materials for paper production." The material can be exported to European and US markets.” 

Paper-based options for electronic and e-commerce products are growing in popularity as regulations and consumers gravitate away from conventional fossil-based plastic. Earlier this year, Samsung transitioned from single-use plastics to paper-based packaging, and Sealed Air launched the ProPad Mini, a protective packaging cushion that maximizes limited pack station space. 

Functional food packaging additives 

At Material Week Tokyo 2026, Oji is also showcasing its Kinocloth solutions, a range of paper-based food containers for fresh food products, like strawberries and seafood. 

Oji’s Kinocloth incorporates functional additives to control odors and moisture in fresh food packaging.Oji Kinocloth incorporates functional additives to strengthen the containers' properties. For example, it adds scallop shell powder and activated carbon to reduce or adsorb odor compounds during the delivery of products such as broccoli, seafood, and tomatoes. 

Sae Gang adds: “[Oji Kinocloth technology] transforms scallop shells into valuable materials. Since the structure of the material contains internal gaps, various functional powders can be incorporated, enabling the creation of sheets with different properties and performance characteristics.” 

Similarly, a silica gel can be added to create packaging used for moisture adsorption and humidity control. 

Packaging Insights also caught up with Cargill Bioindustrial at the event. The company is presenting its 86% bio-based Incroflo P50 additive for food-contact film packaging. 

With live reporting from Sichong Wang at Material Week Tokyo 2026.