Suzuki Motor Corporation has adopted Green Planet, a biodegradable polymer developed by Kaneka Corporation, to replace polystyrene foam in the final packaging of its outboards. Kaneka says Green Planet can decompose in seawater and is 100% biomass-derived.
To maintain the same cushioning performance as conventional polystyrene, Suzuki developed a two-level structure of cardboard shapes to supplement the Green Planet.
The engine manufacturer launched the “Suzuki Clean Ocean Project” in 2020 and has been working to reduce the use of plastic in packaging materials. In a statement, the company said, “As a result, the amount of petroleum-based plastic used in the final packaging of outboard motors produced in Japan was 43 tons annually in FY2020, but it was reduced to 6.3 tons annually by FY2023. The company aims to reduce this amount to zero by FY2026.”
Additionally, Suzuki says it will convert packaging materials for all its products and continue to strive for reducing environmental impact and focus efforts on environmentally conscious initiatives.
