Japan“s Ishizuka Glass and Rengo will begin general sales of an anti-bacterial sheet that prevents heat-resistant mould from proliferating on PET bottles and glass jars. Ishizuka Glass worked with an…
Japan“s Ishizuka Glass and Rengo will begin general sales of an anti-bacterial sheet that prevents heat-resistant mould from proliferating on PET bottles and glass jars. Ishizuka Glass worked with another Japanese firm, Suntory Ltd., to develop the bulk wrapping sheet. Currently, sales are limited to two major beverage makers, who are using the sheet for glass bottles, but Ishizuka Glass aims to reinforce its business prospects by expanding sales to makers of PET bottle and canned containers. Ishizuka Glass will supply Rengo with the anti-bacterial agent, which Rengo will manufacture into sheets. Both companies will market the sheets. Ishizuka Glass anticipates that the new anti-bacterial sheet will boost annual sheet sales to Yen 300-400 million. Ishizuka has also established in Japan a joint-venture company, together with a Taiwanese company and others, for the production of intermediate PET bottle products to meet increasing demand for the bottles. Production was scheduled to begin in mid-March. The joint-venture company will produce about 350 million such intermediate products. Ishizuka started production and sales operations for compact PET bottles in June 1996. The new company will be capitalised at Yen 450 million, with Ishizuka providing 51% of the financing, another Japanese company financing at 39%, and the Taiwanese company at 10%. The new company will produce the pre-formed intermediate products for PET bottles. Ishizuka will handle sales of the total amount produced.