Say hello to ‘tane’ – Delightful tableware for the little ones made of safe and sustainable Sulapac

Japanese brand tane chose Sulapac® for their beautiful tableware collection designed to support the development and autonomy of young children. High biobased content paired with superior moldability compared to other biobased materials made Sulapac the material of choice.

Tane is a Japanese brand specializing in educational tableware for babies and kids. The project ‘tane’, which in Japanese refers to seed, was born from the desire to support the development and autonomy of young children by providing products that are safe and easy to use.

“Amidst growing concerns about environmental issues such as global warming and ocean pollution, we also wanted to offer an avenue for positive contribution without being too forceful in our expression,” says Masahiro Iwahashi CEO at tane Co., Ltd.

Tane’s first set of products entered the market in January 2024 and comprises three types of bowls, plates, mugs, and cutlery, along with a food-themed picture book. “This set is sold as a gift and is often purchased for celebrating childbirth,” shares Iwahashi. Each item is available for individual purchase as well.

Tane’s products are designed and made in Japan and are currently available via tane’s online store.

In tane’s products, the elements of learning and the safety of the biobased Sulapac materials are coupled with functional design: the products are lightweight, durable, and easy-to-handle even for babies, resulting in unique value for the customer – parents and children alike.

The carefully compiled color palette consists of soft colors that please both children and adults and complement each other when used together. Each item has a different texture allowing the child to experience a variety of tactile sensations. The ‘rough’, ‘smooth’, and ‘bumpy’ surfaces are created utilizing different surface processing techniques for molding.

Sulapac qualified as the material of choice after passing a range of requirements and testing

Tane’s tableware is made of Sulapac Solid while Sulapac Luxe Flex was chosen for the cutlery, as it provides additional strength to the products. Sulapac Solid contains 100% USDA certified biobased content. The biobased content for Sulapac Luxe Flex is 86%, also certified by USDA.

When selecting the material, a high percentage of biomass was one of the main priorities for Iwahashi and his team. “We were aiming at 100% biomass content or something close to it and explored several options, including PLA,” Iwahashi says.

Heat resistance and microwave and dishwasher safety were also essential requirements. “Other materials either did not meet these requirements, had poor moldability, or were cost-prohibitive,” Iwahashi says.

According to Iwahashi, Sulapac appears to have much better moldability compared to other biobased materials.

To ensure the quality and safety of the final products made of Sulapac, tane conducted a range of tests covering, for example, leaching, chemical resistance, heat and cold resistance, and dishwasher colorfastness. The products also passed the standards set by Japan’s Food Sanitation Act (regulated by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare).

 

Setting up the production

According to Iwahashi, adjusting the processing parameters required time, as they differed from those of conventional resins. “Our product’s uniqueness also played a role,” he adds. “However, now that the settings have been established, there is no variability between batches”.

In terms of physical investments, tane has introduced dehumidifying dryers for resin and their peripheral equipment.

When the seeds start to grow – How will tane’s story continue?

“We plan to continue creating products that not only promote children’s healthy growth but also contribute positively to the environment”.

Iwahashi and rest of the team are also hoping to receive even more feedback from their sustainable, educational tableware for children and wish to spread awareness about their innovative products far and wide. “If our products catch your interest, we would be delighted to hear from you”, concludes Iwahashi.

 

If you are interested in Tane’s products, don’t hesitate to contact their sales team: contact@hellotane.com

If you would like to learn more about Sulapac Solid, our unique material for tableware and other everyday items, you can read more here or send a message to miki.lahtinen@sulapac.com.

 

Sulapac Ltd is an award-winning material innovation company bringing solutions to the global plastic crisis. By replacing conventional plastic with sustainable, beautiful, and functional Sulapac materials, companies can reduce their carbon footprint, eliminate microplastic pollution, and advance the circular economy. The Helsinki-based company was founded by three scientists in 2016 and serves customers across various industries on three continents. Investors behind Sulapac®, the patented material innovation, include CHANEL and Sky Ocean Ventures.