Awardees: tesa tape K.K. and OYESS Beauty GmbH
- Two award-winning companies were selected from 10 member companies
- Category 1: Sustainable Business Award | Winner: tesa tape K.K.
- Category 2: Sustainable Community Award | Winner: OYESS Beauty GmbH
- Audience Award | Project of tesa tape K.K.
24 November, 2023 | Tokyo - On 22 November 2023, the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (AHK Japan) held the Sustainable Business Award Ceremony 2023. The aim of the award is to promote innovative and sustainable initiatives of AHK Japan’s member companies and to contribute to the further development of economic relations between Germany and Japan, as well as the achievement of higher goals towards a sustainable society.
The jury consisting of four individuals and companies from diverse industry backgrounds based their decision on five evaluation criteria: “Immediate Impact”, “Impact Beyond own Community”, “Innovative Strength”, “Inclusiveness” and “Overall Sustainability Achievements and Strategy”. Each jury member awarded up to 5 points per company and category as result of intense discussions. The companies with the highest scores were elected as winners.
The award winners of this year are as follows.
Category 1: Sustainable Business Award
Winning Company
tesa tape K.K.
Project Title
Development of packaging tapes with more sustainable content using recycled and bio-based materials to improve the sustainability of packaging solutions in Japan.
Project Description
Tesa has developed a range of packaging tapes with more sustainable content such as recycled plastic, bio-based materials, and responsibly sourced paper. All products are produced within a solvent-free coating process and come with a recycled paper product core. Most of them could be disposed of along with cardboard without compromising the recycling process according to INGEDE Method 12. tesa’s contribution to the Japanese packaging tape market continues to grow, providing dependable packaging solutions to meet diverse business needs, all while prioritizing sustainability.
Winner’s Comment
Tesa is proud to be at the forefront of sustainable packaging solutions in Japan. Our development of packaging tapes with more sustainable content represents our commitment to environmental responsibility and innovation. These tapes not only offer effective packaging solutions but also align with our mission to reduce the environmental impact. We will continue to expand the innovation with a focus on shaping a sustainable future.
Review Background
The consumption of packaging tape in Japan is very high and high-quality tapes are essential, especially in the manufacturing and packaging sectors. Tesa Group is a German global leader in the production of adhesive tapes and adhesive system solutions. As a division of this group, tesa tape Japan contributes to the Japanese packaging tape market by developing a wide variety of packaging tapes, including environmentally friendly ones made from recycled and biomass materials, and by providing reliable packaging solutions that meet diverse business needs, all while prioritising sustainability. These approaches set a role model as well as standards for other companies to follow and to get engaged in sustainable business approaches, which was valued highly by the jury. Also, the range of application for such products is wide, which gives a promising outlook for an overall impact and multiplying effects within and beyond the industry.
Category 2: Sustainable Community Award
Winning Company
OYESS Beauty GmbH
Project Title
Beauty that also protects our planet? We from OYESS Loving Nature are stepping up to save our planet. Because we believe in cosmetics that are good for you and our planet.
Project Description
You want cosmetic products that provide the best care for you and are also good for the environment? So do we – because our planet deserves more than a flood of plastic and co., mineral oils, animal testing and far too many chemicals. Oh no! – not with us. At OYESS Loving Nature, we believe that sustainability is a win-win for all of us. Say “yes” to our sustainable, natural lip and beauty care products – we pamper your lips and body with selected organic ingredients. And our planet as well: climate-neutrally produced, Made in Germany, cruelty-free recognized by Leaping Bunny and with a really smart packaging made of recycled plastic. OYESS!
Winner’s Comment
We are so grateful to be winner of the Japanese Sustainable Business Award! Seeing that our products that support our planet are now available in Japan, and being supported and honored is a dream come true! We will keep making products with high-quality natural ingredients that are produced sustainably and accessible for people in their everyday life.
Review Background
OYESS Beauty GmbH provides cosmetic products which are good for people’s skin as well as for the environment. OYESS Beauty GmbH has a completely climate-neutral production and uses a maximum of recycled materials in its packaging. OYESS focusses on very high quality "Made in Germany" and shortening supply chains as much as possible. Their lip care products have international certifications such as the Leaping Bunny, EcoCert Cosmos Organic and Natural seals.
With its success, OYESS Beauty GmbH sets new standards and serves as a role model in the cosmetics industry, showing that responsible business is possible. Especially for an industry that is traditionally plastic and chemical-heavy, this kind of role model is crucial and therefore the jury evaluated this pioneering spirit very highly.
The project of tesa tape K.K. also won the Audience Award, which was voted for by participants at the award ceremony on the same day. Furthermore, 18 “WE ARE ONE Partner” companies, which support the awards, introduced their own sustainable projects and initiatives at their stands.
Regarding the second Sustainable Business Award, Marcus Schuermann, CEO of AHK Japan and Delegate of German Industry and Commerce in Japan, stated: “The importance of sustainability in business is continuously increasing, which our annual business climate survey shows. In the survey, 54% of German companies in Japan answered that over the next three years, they plan on increasing their investment in sustainability-related projects. We hope that the sustainable activities of our member companies will contribute to the Japanese economy's goal of archiving a sustainable society.”
About Sustainability Business Award
Eligibility for application
Members of the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan
Award category
Category 1: Sustainable Business Award
(“Sustainable Products”, “Production”, “Solutions and Services”)
This category is designed for member corporates with sustainable solutions in their core business in Japan: Solutions (including software and AI), products, production processes and other services or activities that your company is offering or conducting that contribute to sustainable business development.
Category 2: Sustainable Community Award
(“Innovations in Community-Building”, “Work Force” and “At Own Company”)
This category is designed for member corporates with sustainable development innovations besides their core business in Japan, but within their own company to ensure a sustainable community within and around their own work force company location.
Audience Award
Additionally, the audience decides via voting at the award ceremony which of the two winning companies receives the audience award.
Jury
The Jury is composed of the following individuals and industries:
Academia
- Dr. Laura Blecken | Head of Programs, German Center for Research and Innovation (DWIH) Tokyo/ Deputy Director, DAAD Tokyo
New Media
- Takahisa Taniguchi | Sustainability Influencer
Experts from the Industry
- Junichi Yonezu | Country Representative/ President & CEO, LANXESS K.K./ LANXESS Solutions Japan Ltd.
- Tim Phelps | Regional Manager Asia, SurTec MMC Japan K.K.
Organizer
German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (AHK Japan)
WE ARE ONE-Partner 2023
APL Automotive Japan K.K./ Bayer Holding Ltd./ Codo Advisory, Inc./ German Centre for Research and Innovation Tokyo (DWIH Tokyo)/ ebm-papst Japan K.K./ EMMA Consulting Co., Ltd./ German National Tourist Office (DZT)/ Henkel Japan Ltd./ juwi Shizen Energy Inc./ Lufthansa German Airlines/ Merck Ltd./ NRW.Global Business Japan (NRW JAPAN K.K.)/ PHOENIX CONTACT K.K./ SurTec MMC Japan K.K./ tesa tape K.K./ TRUMPF Corporation/ TÜV Rheinland Japan Ltd./ TÜV SÜD Japan Ltd.
Event URL
https://japan.ahk.de/en/events/coming-events/event-details-en/sustainable-business-award-2023
Organisation Profile
Organisation: German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (AHK Japan)
Representative: Marcus Schuermann
Address: Sanbancho KS Building 5F, 2-4 Sanbancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0075
Founded: 1962
URL: https://japan.ahk.de/en/
AHK Japan was founded in Tokyo in March 1962 and is today the largest German-Japanese network in Japan with around 460 member companies. With a trade volume of 45.8 billion euros, Japan is the second most important market in Asia and Germany in turn is the most important target market for Japanese products in Europe. Since its foundation, AHK Japan has been committed to intensifying German-Japanese economic relations and supporting a wide range of initiatives for economic exchange, such as the recent German-Japanese Energy Partnership, export promotion of German food products and cooperation in future fields such as 3D printing.
Press Contact
Yuko Makita
Communications
German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (AHK Japan)
+81(0)3 5276 8741
press(at)dihkj.or.jp
When quoting this release, please inform us.