Sony has joined forces with 13 other companies to create a world-first global supply chain of renewable plastics.
This collaborative network brings together partners from across five countries and regions, with the resulting materials set to be used in Sony’s audio-visual products that will be launched worldwide.
The supply chain includes Sony, Mitsubishi Corporation, Adeka Corporation, Chimei Corporation, Eneos Corporation, Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corporation, Hanwha Impact Corporation, Idemitsu Kosan, Mitsui Chemicals, Neste Corporation, Qingdao Haier New Material Development, SK Geo Centric, Toray Industries, and Toray Advanced Materials Korea.
In its recent announcement, the coalition said the partnership addresses key challenges in making high-performance electronics more sustainable.
Audio-visual equipment traditionally requires numerous specialised plastic components with strict flame-resistance and optical-property requirements that material recycling alone cannot satisfy.
By visualising the existing supply chain for Sony’s products, the 14 companies created a new one that produces multiple types of renewable plastics from biomass resources with a mass balance approach, according to the coalition’s announcement.
“This allows Sony to proactively source raw materials for its products with the quality and properties equivalent to virgin fossil-based plastics.”
In this project, Sony will take the lead in overseeing the supply chain ecosystem, driving the adoption of renewable plastics across its product lines.
Meanwhile, Mitsubishi will manage comprehensive supply chain oversight, including credit delivery management, while promoting the adoption of renewable plastics in Sony products.
The newly established supply chain also allows participating companies to track and document greenhouse gas emissions data throughout the production process. This verifiable information provides a foundation for future efforts to reduce carbon footprints, the partners explained.
The collaboration forms part of the ‘Creating NEW from reNEWable materials’ project, a joint initiative between Sony and Mitsubishi Corporation that aims to eliminate the use of virgin fossil-based plastics in Sony products through renewable alternatives.
