Rengo receives SMBC Environmental Assessment Loan from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, recognized for environmental considerations including lighter packaging to reduce carbon emissions, usage of renewable energy, waste reduction initiatives

Kendall Sinclair

TOKYO , April 3, 2012 (press release) – Rengo Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Kita-ku, Osaka; President & CEO: Kiyoshi Otsubo) has received the SMBC Environmental Assessment Loan from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (President: Takeshi Kunibe). This loan is given by this financial institution to support corporations that are making efforts to provide solutions and develop products that will help preserve the global environment, and that are also aiming to strike a balance between the conservation of the global environment and corporate activities. This is the second time the loan system has been applied for, with the first application in 2008.

This loan was given based on the results of an evaluation of Rengo’s consideration for the environment. Rengo was evaluated as having an extremely high standard in realms including the “state of environmental protection initiatives,” “environmental management systems,” and “environmental business and communication.” Rengo received the highest evaluation for its implementation of excellent environmental initiatives as part of its corporate management.

In particular, high evaluations were given of the following initiatives—based on the key phrase “Less Weight, Less Carbon”—aimed at creating corrugated packaging that is light, durable, thin, space-conserving, and low in CO2 emissions through its life cycle:


1. Maximum usage of renewable energy, such as the utilizing of a photovoltaic power generating system to produce all daytime electric power at the Fukushima-Yabuki Plant (which began operations in 2010). In this way CO2 emissions have been reduced by around 40% compared to the former plant.

2. Proactive promotion of the development and popularization of products with low environmental impact, such as C-flute corrugated board, which is one millimeter thinner than traditional corrugated board, and or Lower Cost & Carbon (LCC) containerboard, a proprietary type of lightweight containerboard.

3. Implementation of a diverse range of environment-related initiatives, such as measures to reduce waste material, water resource usage, chemical substance release amounts, etc.; the expansion of plants that employ an environmental management system; and other initiatives.

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