Toyo Seikan Co., Ltd. (“Toyo Seikan”; President: Masanori Honda), a consolidated subsidiary of Toyo Seikan Group Holdings, Ltd. (Tokyo 5901; President: Ichio Otsuka), in collaboration with UACJ Corporation (“UACJ”; Tokyo 5741; President: Shinji Tanaka), has developed the aluminum beverage can lid "EcoEndTM" that reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by approximately 40% compared to current products. This innovative product has received three awards at The Canmaker magazine’s Cans of the Year Awards 2024,*1 including the Gold Award in the "Ends, Caps & Closures "category, the "Sustainability " category,*2 and the "Delegates' Choice " category.*3
We will continue to contribute to the reduction of environmental impact and the realization of a sustainable society through the development and provision of products and services that make significant contributions to reducing burdens on the environment.
■Description of the awards ceremony
Members from Toyo Seikan and UACJ involved in the development of EcoEnd™ attended the awards ceremony held in Sitges, Spain, on November 6 and were presented with commemorative items.
<Description of the Gold Award Presentation in the "Ends, Caps & Closures" category>
From left to right: Ryotaro Isomura (Technical Center at Toyo Seikan) ; Tomoyuki Kudo (Manager, Can Stock Development Department at UACJ) ; Presenter from the organizing committee; Shuji Nakano (Technical Center at Toyo Seikan)
<Description of the Award Presentation in the "Sustainability" category>
From left to right: Hiroshi Yokoi (Assistant to Chief Executive, Flat Rolled Products Division at UACJ) ; Shigeya Takahashi (General Manager,Technical Center at Toyo Seikan) ; Presenter from the organizing committee.
<Description of the Award Presentation in the "Delegates' Choice" category>
From left to right: Machiko Shimizu (General Manager, Can Stock Marketing & Sales Department at UACJ); Masaomi Tamura (General Manager, Technical Center at Toyo Seikan) ; Presenter from the organizing committee.
*1 “The Canmaker Cans of the Year Awards” is an international award organized by The Canmaker magazine since 1996 to celebrate technological advancements and innovations in the metal packaging industry.
*2 The award is given to products that contribute to the realization of a sustainable society from among the nominated products in all categories. In this case, EcoEnd™ was the only product that received the award, which was recognition of its contribution to sustainability.
*3 The award is given to the product that receives the highest number of votes from attendees through on-site voting among all the nominated products in each category.
【Product Overview】
EcoEnd™ significantly reduces GHG emissions while also achieving the same functionality as traditional can lids. Whereas traditional can lids make heavy use of primary aluminum, the EcoEnd™ manufacturing process makes a large cut in GHG emissions by substantially increasing the proportion of recycled materials, such as used beverage cans, thus reducing the environmental impact of GHG emissions by approximately 40% compared to traditional can lids.
・Integrated Report 2024: “Building the Production System for EcoEnd™ Next-Generation Beverage Can Lid” (November 8, 2024, pp. 40-41),
https://ssl4.eir-parts.net/doc/5901/ir_material_for_fiscal_ym9/166955/00.pdf
・“Completion of the mass production system for EcoEnd™, the Next-Generation Beverage Can Lid, Which Achieves a 40% Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Collaborative Effort by UACJ and Toyo Seikan” (July 9, 2024)
https://www.tskg-hd.com/news_file/file/20240709_newsrelease_e.pdf
・Development of Next-Generation Eco-Friendly Can Lid "EcoEndTM"with Major Revisions to Materials and Manufacturing Methods – Joint efforts by Toyo Seikan and UACJ reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% - (December 4, 2023)
https://www.tskg-hd.com/news/news_file/file/95ac05a283f2229f60cf9e84211b06de61fb3dc0.pdf
■About UACJ Corporation
Operating globally as an integrated aluminum products manufacturer, UACJ Corporation strives to fulfill its purpose of “contributing to society by using raw materials to manufacture products that enhance prosperity and sustainability.”
UACJ leverages the collective capabilities of the entire UACJ Group, backed by a 125-year history of flat rolled aluminum production. Operating five main businesses—the flat rolled products, automotive parts, extrusion and metal components, casting and forging, and foil businesses—the UACJ Group supports people’s livelihoods and industrial development by supplying aluminum materials to a wide range of industries, including the beverage can, automotive, IT device, air-conditioning, and aerospace industries.
UACJ posted consolidated net sales of 892.8 billion yen in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, and the UACJ Group currently employs about 10,500 people around the world.