JAPAN (News release) -- Rengo Co., Ltd. has established a new plant to increase production of "Viscopearl," a spherical cellulose microbead manufactured from wood pulp, and will commence full-scale operation in July.

Viscopearl is a material that is biodegradable in ocean water and soil. It has received "OK biodegradable MARINE" certification, an international certification of biodegradability in ocean water. It is expected to contribute toward addressing the issue of ocean plastic waste as an alternative to microplastic beads used in a wide range of fields, such as additives for resins and inks and as abrasives.

Particularly, in the field of cosmetics, laws and regulations are becoming strict in Europe and the United States, and demand for conversion from microplastic beads to Viscopearl is expected. Therefore, Rengo has established a system to increase production of small particle Viscopearl.

The new plant is established within the premises of Rengo's Kanazu Mill in Japan. Currently, trial operation is being conducted toward full-scale operation to achieve quality improvement through new manufacturing technologies.