TOKYO — Kwik Lok announced the availability of its Eco-Lok in Japan, marking the first sustainable closure available in Japan. Made of more than 10% biomass materials and requiring fewer greenhouse gases to manufacture — by more than 10% — Eco-Lok is more sustainable but retains the same features as the Kwik Lok closure, according to the company.

“We are very excited to bring this product to the Japanese market at a time when we are hearing more demand for sustainability from our customers,” said Motohiro Kawai, president of Kwik Lok Japan. “We are indebted to the support Kwik Lok has received over the years in Japan and have strived to maintain the same quality and features in Eco-Lok while minimizing our environmental impact.”

Eco-Lok’s biomass material, NuPlastiQ, is a proprietary technology from BioLogiQ, which converts plant-based carbohydrates, such as corn and potatoes, to a plant-based resin. Using a 100% natural, renewably sourced plant-based resin that requires less fuel to manufacture, NuPlastiQ helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and overall petroleum-based material use. Eco-Lok has been certified with the Biomass Mark by the Japan Organics Recycling Association, an organization providing information for and assessment of and monitoring the standard of biomass materials in products such as packaging.

Eco-Lok retains the same performance specifications and features as Kwik Lok closures — printable, reusable and metal detector compatible. They also are interchangeable with the company’s previous closures and compatible with existing Kwik Lok machinery.

Kwik Lok launched Eco-Lok in the United States in 2019. Since then, Eco-Lok has contributed to the reduction of CO₂ emissions by an equivalent of more than 123,993 greenhouse gases driven in miles by the average car or more than 54,976 lbs of coal burned. Kwik Lok is striving to reduce its carbon footprint by 25% by 2025 and to have 50% of global sales be of sustainable products by 2025.

The company has been working toward a sustainable future by pioneering environmentally friendly closure solutions as well as committing to future sustainable targets and aligning its key strategies to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Kwik Lok is a member of the US Plastics Pact and recently joined the ANZPAC Plastics Pact.

“As a company, we take the responsibility of our impact on the environment seriously, and Eco-Lok is a testament to our commitment to reduce plastics and lessen carbon emissions worldwide,” said Don Carrell, chief executive officer of Kwik Lok. “We will continue to innovate and look forward to working with our Japanese customers to bring more sustainable solutions to Japan.”