Kahei to use Mitsubishi Chemical Group’s plant-derived polyol in synthetic leather production

Tokyo, Japan – The Mitsubishi Chemical Group (the MCG Group) announced that its plant-derived polyol “BioPTMG” has been adopted by Kahei Co., Ltd. as a synthetic leather (bio-synthetic leather) material. In addition, small items (shoulder bags, wet tissue cases, etc.) made with this bio-synthetic leather will be available for purchase at “tonto,” run by Triple A Co., Ltd., a planner and marketer of sustainable products.
Bio-synthetic leather is made from plant-derived raw materials, among synthetic leathers that use materials other than synthetic leather materials made from non-animal-derived materials.

BioPTMG is a plant-derived polyol developed by the MCG Group in 2021, and imparts flexibility, durability, and high resilience to polyurethane and polyester products. Thanks to our unique refining technology, no coloring occurs when the material is made into resin, and it can be used in a wide range of fields, from interior design and fashion to industrial materials, just like petroleum-derived products. In addition, it has a high biomass content of 92% or more, which not only reduces the consumption of petroleum, a depleting resource, but also helps reduce GHG emissions because the raw materials, i.e., plants, absorb CO2 in their growth process.

Kahei Co., Ltd., a manufacturer of synthetic leather, selects high-quality synthetic leather scraps from manufacturing processes, and uses them effectively in products sold under the small items brand “tonto.” Additionally, the company is working to reduce CO2 emissions, and the company’s sustainability strategy matches the characteristics of BioPTMG, which ultimately led to its adoption.