A - Advanced Recycling

A set of technologies, including chemical recycling and solvent-based purification, that convert plastic waste into raw materials suitable for reuse in high-performance and food-contact packaging. Advanced recycling complements mechanical recycling by handling contaminated or multi-layer materials that cannot be recycled mechanically.

A - Applications

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A - Active Packaging

Packaging in food, medical, construction, electronics. Packaging designed to interact with the contents (e.g., oxygen scavengers, desiccants) to further preserve quality. High-barrier films often reduce or eliminate the need for active additives.

A - AlOx / SiOx: Inorganic barrier layer materials.

Packaging designed to interact with the contents (e.g., oxygen scavengers, desiccants) to further preserve quality. High-barrier films often reduce or eliminate the need for active additives.

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B - Barrier Film

A multi-layer plastic film designed to prevent the passage of gases (oxygen, carbon dioxide), moisture, light, or aromas. Used to protect product freshness, extend shelf life, and enable safe transport.

B - Barrier Properties

The ability of packaging materials to resist the transmission of gases, moisture, light, or aromas. Barrier performance is critical in flexible packaging to maintain product safety, quality, and shelf life, particularly in food and pharmaceutical applications.

B - Blister Pack

A rigid cavity sealed with film, often used for medical or electronics packaging.

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C - Carbon Footprint (Packaging)

The total greenhouse gas emissions associated with a packaging product across its life cycle, typically expressed as CO₂ equivalents (CO₂e). In sustainable packaging, carbon footprint reduction is achieved through recycled content, downgauging, energy-efficient production, and optimized logistics.

C - Coating Layer

A protective surface coating (proprietary to Toppan) that enhances durability, printability, and adhesion between layers.

C - Coating Layer

A proprietary top layer enhancing printability, handling, and overall durability.

C - Circular Economy

An economic system designed to eliminate waste and keep materials in continuous use through reuse, recycling, and regeneration. In packaging, the circular economy emphasizes design for recyclability, recycled content integration, and end-of-life material recovery.

C - Circular Design

A design approach that prioritizes material reuse, recyclability, and value retention throughout a product’s life cycle. In flexible packaging, circular design focuses on mono-material structures, compatibility with existing recycling systems, and minimizing additives that degrade recyclate quality.

C - Closed-Loop Recycling

A recycling system in which materials are recovered and reused within the same or similar application, such as flexible packaging recycled back into flexible packaging. Closed-loop systems maximize material value retention and support circularity goals.

C - Chemical Recycling

A recycling process that breaks polymers down into monomers or basic chemical feedstocks, allowing plastics to be reprocessed into materials with properties comparable to virgin resin. Chemical recycling enables food-grade recycled content where mechanical recycling may not meet safety requirements.

C - Coextrusion

Simultaneous extrusion of multiple plastic layers into a single multi-layer structure, often used for forming the base substrate before applying barrier layers.

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D - Downgauging

The process of reducing material thickness or weight while maintaining required performance characteristics. Downgauging lowers material usage, transportation emissions, and environmental impact, and is often enabled by advances in film engineering and material optimization.
Downgauging refers to reducing material thickness or weight while maintaining required functional performance.
Environmental Impact:
● Lower material consumption● Reduced transportation emissions● Improved overall LCA outcomes

D - Digital Printing Compatibility

Film engineered to accept digital inks (e.g., HP Indigo) without degrading barrier performance—enabling short runs, personalization, and faster prototyping.

D - EnviroFlex™: Sustainable Flexible Packaging Suite

TOPPAN’s EnviroFlex® platform is designed around recyclable and recycled-content flexible packaging, aligning with industry standards such as How2Recycle® labeling where applicable.
TOPPAN Packaging Solutions

Key EnviroFlex offerings include:

EnviroFlex Paper: A paper-dominant flexible packaging format with barrier characteristics suitable for dry and non-food products.
TOPPAN Packaging Solutions

EnviroFlex PE: A mono-material polyethylene structure engineered for store drop-off recycling streams with post-consumer recycled content to meet both performance and sustainability requirements.

EnviroFlex Recycled Content Films: High-barrier films incorporating both mechanically and advanced recycled content, ideal for categories like coffee and pet food requiring durability and barrier protection.

These solutions support real-world recyclability and circularity goals rather than token environmental positioning.

D - Decontamination Efficiency

A measure of how effectively recycling processes remove chemical and biological contaminants from recycled materials. High decontamination efficiency is essential for recycled polymers used in food-contact flexible packaging.
Regulatory Context:
Evaluated by authorities such as EFSA and the FDA for food-contact approvals.

D - Design for Recycling (DfR)

A packaging design philosophy that ensures materials, inks, adhesives, and structures are compatible with existing recycling systems. DfR principles aim to improve recyclate quality and recovery rates.

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E - Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

A regulatory framework that shifts financial and operational responsibility for packaging waste management from municipalities to producers. EPR schemes incentivize the use of recyclable materials and recycled content by linking packaging design decisions to end-of-life costs.

E - Environmental Claims (Packaging)

Statements made by manufacturers or brands regarding the environmental benefits of packaging. To be credible, environmental claims must be supported by verifiable data and comply with standards such as ISO 14021.

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F - Flexible Packaging

A category of packaging made from flexible materials such as plastic films, paper, aluminum foil, or combinations thereof. Flexible packaging is valued for its lightweight structure, high barrier performance, and efficiency in transportation and storage. Common applications include food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and consumer goods packaging.

F - Food-Contact Compliance

Regulatory approval confirming that packaging materials are safe for direct contact with food. Recycled materials used in food-contact flexible packaging must meet strict safety and traceability requirements.

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G - GL FILM / GL BARRIER

Brand for Toppan’s transparent, vapor-deposited barrier films. A family of transparent, high-performance barrier films developed by Toppan. These films leverage multi-layer structures combining:
a substrate (such as PET, PP, PE),
an inorganic vapor-deposited barrier layer (e.g., alumina—AlOx—or silica—SiOx),
and a proprietary coating layer for enhanced protection and printability.They deliver stable oxygen and water vapor resistance, transparency, and eco-conscious benefits like metal-detector friendliness and microwavability.

G - Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions

Gases that contribute to climate change, including carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). Packaging sustainability strategies aim to reduce GHG emissions across the product life cycle.

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H - High-Barrier Packaging

Packaging designed to protect products from oxygen, moisture, light, or aroma transmission. High-barrier performance is critical for food safety and shelf life. Recent innovations allow high-barrier properties to be achieved in recyclable flexible packaging structures that can incorporate recycled content.

H - High-Barrier Flexible Packaging

High-barrier packaging provides controlled resistance to oxygen, moisture, light, and aroma transmission to protect sensitive products.

Modern Innovations:

● Thin functional barrier layers
● Coatings compatible with recycling streams
● Aluminum-foil-free structures

Performance Metrics:

● Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR)
● Water Vapor Transmission Rate (WVTR)

H - Horizontal Recycling

A recycling approach in which used flexible packaging films are recycled back into comparable film applications, rather than being downcycled into lower-value products. Horizontal recycling improves material circularity and economic viability.

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I - Inorganic Vapor-Deposited Layer (AlOx / SiOx)

Inorganic Vapor-Deposited Layer (AlOx / SiOx)

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L - LCA-Backed Data

Data derived from a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) that quantifies the environmental impacts of a product, material, or system across its entire life cycle—from raw material extraction through manufacturing, distribution, use, and end-of-life.
LCA-backed data is used to support credible sustainability claims by measuring indicators such as greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, water consumption, and resource depletion. In flexible packaging, it enables evidence-based comparisons between virgin and recycled content materials.

L - Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

A standardized methodology used to evaluate the environmental impacts of a product or system throughout its entire life cycle. LCA is widely used to assess the sustainability performance of packaging materials and inform data-driven decision-making.

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M - Mass Balance Accounting

A chain-of-custody method that allows recycled feedstock to be tracked and attributed proportionally to finished products, even when recycled and virgin materials are mixed during production. Mass balance accounting enables scalable recycled content integration and supports verified sustainability claims, particularly in food-grade applications.

M - Mechanical Recycling

A physical recycling process that involves sorting, washing, shredding, melting, and re-extruding plastic waste. Mechanical recycling is the most common recycling method for flexible packaging but is sensitive to contamination and material complexity.

M - Mono-Material Barrier Packaging

The Future of Circular Flexible Packaging. One of TOPPAN’s most notable sustainability directions is mono-material barrier packaging — packaging structures made entirely from one polymer family, enabling recycling within existing mechanical streams.
Historically, flexible packaging relied on multi-material laminates combining PET, aluminum foil, polyamide, and polypropylene, which are challenging to recycle due to material incompatibility.
TOPPAN’s mono-material solutions address this through:

PET-Based Barrier Films: High-barrier mono-PET films suitable for dry goods and retort applications that can integrate recycled PET content.

PP and PE Mono-Material Films: Designed to meet demanding barrier and mechanical requirements while enabling recyclability in common municipal streams.

Paper-Based Mono-Material Films: Heat-sealable paper-only packaging under development to extend flexible packaging recyclability into paper streams.

These developments not only improve recyclability but also support regulatory compliance with emerging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks and material bans.

M - Mono-Material Packaging

Packaging structures made predominantly from a single polymer family, such as polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP). Mono-material designs improve recyclability by eliminating incompatible layers, making them better suited for circular recycling systems.

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O - Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR)

A measurement of the amount of oxygen that passes through a packaging material over a given time. Low OTR values indicate strong oxygen barrier performance, essential for food preservation.

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P - PCR Materials (Post-Consumer Recycled Materials)

Materials recovered from products that have completed their intended consumer use and entered the waste stream, such as used packaging films or household plastics. PCR materials are processed, cleaned, and reintroduced into new products, supporting circular economy goals by reducing reliance on virgin resources and diverting waste from landfill or incineration.
PCR content is often prioritized by regulators due to its direct environmental impact but presents technical challenges related to material consistency and contamination.

P - PIR Materials (Post-Industrial Recycled Materials)

Materials recovered from manufacturing waste, including production scrap, trim waste, or off-spec material generated before products reach consumers. PIR materials typically offer more consistent quality than PCR materials but do not address post-consumer waste streams directly.

P - Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) Content

Material recovered from consumer-used products that have entered the waste stream and been reprocessed for reuse. PCR content directly supports circular economy goals but requires advanced quality control.

P - Post-Industrial Recycled (PIR) Content

Material recovered from manufacturing waste generated before products reach consumers. PIR content offers consistency but lower circular impact compared to PCR content.

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Q - Quantitative Environmental Assessment Using LCA

TOPPAN emphasizes Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as a foundational methodology for evaluating environmental impact across packaging products. This quantitative approach allows designers and brand partners to identify opportunities for carbon reduction, resource use efficiency, and recyclability improvements based on empirical data rather than qualitative claims.
Toppan

Through LCA-backed analysis, TOPPAN develops and validates products that balance performance with reduced environmental footprint. These include mono-material barrier packaging, paper-based containers, and composite solutions that can be tracked and improved through standardized assessment methods such as ISO 14040 and ISO 14044.

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R - Recyclability

The ability of a packaging material to be collected, sorted, and reprocessed into new materials within existing recycling systems. Recyclability depends on material choice, structure, and regional infrastructure.

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S - Sustainable Flexible Packaging Solutions

TOPPAN’s sustainable flexible packaging portfolio demonstrates multiple strategies for reducing environmental impact:
Reduction of Plastic Use: By minimizing film thickness and optimizing design, TOPPAN achieves significant plastic reduction (e.g., more than 30% less plastic in certain tube-pouch formats).
Mono-Material Packaging: Transitioning from multi-material laminates to single-polymer structures (PET, PP, or PE) enhances recyclability and simplifies recycling streams.
Use of Recycled Materials: Films using mechanically recycled PET sourced from post-consumer bottles can reduce CO₂ emissions by approximately 24% compared to virgin PET while maintaining barrier performance.
Green Printing & Lamination Technologies: Water-based flexographic printing and solvent-free lamination reduce VOC emissions and energy use during production, further lowering the carbon footprint.
Switching to Paper Packaging: Paper-based packaging options with barrier layers or heat-sealable coatings offer plastic-free alternatives where performance requirements allow.

S - Structural Components

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S - Sustainable Flexible Packaging Solutions

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S - Sustainable Packaging

Packaging designed to minimize environmental impact across its life cycle while maintaining product protection and functionality. Sustainable packaging strategies include recycled content use, material reduction, recyclability, and responsible sourcing.

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W - Water Vapor Transmission Rate (WVTR)

A measure of how much water vapor passes through a packaging material. WVTR is critical for products sensitive to moisture, such as dry foods and pharmaceuticals.

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