What Futamura does

Futamura Chemical Co., Ltd. is a Japanese privately held manufacturer of sustainable cellulose films, plastics, phenolic sheets, non-wovens, and fibrous casings, headquartered in Nagoya, Japan. The company's flagship brand, NatureFlex, consists of compostable, bio-based cellulose films derived from renewable wood pulp sourced from responsibly managed forests; these films are certified for both home and industrial composting and serve as barrier films for food packaging, biodegradable glitter alternatives in cosmetics and art, and lining substrates for compostable trays and sachets. Manufacturing is vertically integrated across Japan and a wholly owned UK subsidiary (Futamura UK) operating a cellulose plant in Wigton that has been operational for over 90 years and employs approximately 270 people; the UK site was acquired from Innovia Films in April 2016.

Futamura generates revenue primarily through direct B2B sales of compostable cellulose films and related sustainable packaging materials to enterprise packaging manufacturers and brand owners across food/beverage and cosmetics verticals. The company holds 31% market share in Japan's green packaging film market, competing alongside Toyobo, Dai Nippon Printing, Unitika, and Taghleef Industries. Long-tenured partnerships include a 25-year relationship with Italian food packaging manufacturer Biopap (NatureFlex-lined trays) and co-development collaborations with German firms Repaq and GK Sondermaschinenbau for compostable sachets. Go-to-market relies on enterprise field sales supplemented by trade show presence at Interpack and Packaging Innovations & Empack. The company operates approximately 1,001-5,000 employees globally and is pursuing capital investment (£15M UK WSA sustainability project in 2025) to reduce emissions and energy costs at the Wigton facility.

Name

Futamura

Legal name

Futamura Chemical Co., Ltd.

Website

https://futamuragroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Futamura Chemical Co., Ltd. is a Japanese manufacturer of sustainable cellulose films (NatureFlex brand) serving food packaging and cosmetics customers via direct B2B sales, with 31% Japan green packaging film market share and a UK manufacturing subsidiary in Wigton.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Packaging Films

NAICS

Chemical Manufacturing (325), Plastics Packaging Materials and Unlaminated Film and Sheet Manufacturing (32611), Plastics Packaging Film and Sheet (including Laminated) Manufacturing (326112)

SIC

Plastic Material, Synth Resin/Rubber, Cellulos (No Glass) (2820), Unsupported Plastics Film & Sheet (3081)

akta.pro primary industry

Cellulose-Based Biodegradable Materials (cellulose films, fibers, derivatives) (IMAEAOAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Compostable & Bio-Based Packaging (PLA/PHA, Starch Blends, Cellulose Films) (IMALAMAB), Compostable & Bio-Based Flexible Packaging (PLA, PHA, Cellulose Films) (IMALABAO), Bio-based Materials & Fibers (e.g., cellulose derivatives, lignin-based materials, nanocellulose) (EUAAAIAD), Bio-based Packaging Materials (molded fiber, bio-barrier coatings, compostables) (IMAMALAI)

Keywords

• Compostable cellulose films
• Bio-based packaging materials
• Flexible packaging films
• Biodegradable industrial films
• Sustainable packaging manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Nagoya

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Compostable Cellulose Film Sales: Futamura generates revenue through the sale of compostable cellulose films (NatureFlex brand) and related sustainable packaging materials to food packaging manufacturers and brands. The company is a leading player in Japan's green packaging film market with 31% market share.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Futamura manufactures sustainable cellulose films under the NatureFlex brand—compostable, bio-based barrier films derived from renewable wood pulp sourced from responsibly managed forests. The films are designed for flexible packaging applications across food, cosmetics, and industrial sectors, with variants including glitter-alternative films, food tray linings, and small-format compostable sachets. In addition, the company operates manufacturing divisions producing plastic films, phenolic sheets, non-wovens, and fibrous casings.

Product overview

Futamura is a manufacturer of sustainable cellulose film products with operations spanning Japan and the UK (Wigton facility with 270 employees, over 90 years operational). The core product portfolio centers on NatureFlex films—a family of compostable, bio-based cellulose films made from responsibly managed forests. NatureFlex products serve as the foundational platform across multiple packaging applications: standard barrier films for flexible packaging, NatureFlex Glitter Films as a biodegradable alternative for cosmetics/art sectors, NatureFlex-Lined Trays for food applications via Biopap partnership, and Compostable Sachets for small-format products through the Repaq/GK Sondermaschinenbau collaboration. The company operates vertically integrated manufacturing with recent £15M sustainability investment at the UK site to reduce emissions through waste gas diversion for steam energy generation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NatureFlex: Biodegradable cellulose films made from renewable wood pulp, used as alternatives to traditional plastic packaging and glitter in cosmetics

Products and services

• NatureFlex Films Compostable and bio-based cellulose films derived from responsibly managed forests. NatureFlex is Futamura's flagship brand offering printable, heat-sealable barrier films for flexible packaging applications across food, cosmetics, and industrial sectors.
• NatureFlex Glitter Films Biodegradable NatureFlex film alternative to conventional plastic glitter, suitable for cosmetics and art applications. Made from renewable wood pulp and certified biodegradable.
• NatureFlex-Lined Trays Compostable food packaging trays featuring NatureFlex barrier film lining, developed through partnership with Biopap. Designed to reduce carbon footprints and support circularity in food packaging.
• Compostable Sachets Small-format compostable packaging sachets certified for home and industrial composting, developed collaboratively with Repaq and GK Sondermaschinenbau for single-use product applications.
• Cellulose Films (manufactured at Wigton, UK facility) Sustainable cellulose-based film products manufactured at Futamura's UK Wigton facility (operational over 90 years, 270 employees). Films are compostable, bio-based, and derived from renewable wood pulp sources.

Quantifiable outcome

• Meets 15% of site's total energy requirements through waste gas diversion
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• BiopapcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2026Biopap, an Italian company, has maintained a 25-year partnership with Futamura for compostable food packaging innovation. Biopap's NatureFlex-lined trays leverage Futamura's compostable films to reduce carbon footprints and support circularity in the food packaging sector.
• RepaqflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Futamura partnered with German company Repaq to create compostable sachets certified for home and industrial composting, suitable for small-format products. This partnership was featured at Interpack 2026 and Packaging Innovations & Empack 2026.
• GK SondermaschinenbauflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Futamura collaborated with German company GK Sondermaschinenbau alongside Repaq to develop a fully compostable sachet solution certified for home and industrial settings. GK Sondermaschinenbau contributes packaging machine expertise to the partnership.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Taghleef Industries: Global manufacturer of flexible packaging films including BOPP, BOPLA, and bio-based films. Named explicitly as a competitor to Futamura in Japan's green packaging film market, serving food packaging and industrial applications with comparable product format (films).
• Toyobo: Japanese diversified materials company producing films, fibers, and bio-based packaging. Named as a competitor in Japan's green packaging film market, with overlapping cellulose/biopolymer film capabilities and similar food packaging customers.
• Dai Nippon Printing (DNP): Major Japanese printing and packaging group producing flexible packaging films, including compostable and barrier film solutions. Named as a direct competitor in Japan's green packaging film segment with broader scale across the packaging value chain.
• Unitika: Japanese materials manufacturer producing films, nonwovens, and packaging products including biodegradable PLA films. Named competitor in Japan's green packaging film market with overlapping sustainable packaging portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Mondi: Global paper and packaging incumbent with sustainable flexible packaging and kraft paper solutions. Comparable in producing compostable and bio-based packaging substrates for food and consumer goods at significantly larger scale.
• UPM-Kymmene: Finnish forest-products and biomaterials major with bio-based packaging films and label materials. Overlaps with Futamura's cellulose/bio-based positioning at much larger corporate scale and broader product portfolio.
• Stora Enso: European forest products company with renewable packaging materials including cellulose-based and bio-barrier films. Directly competes in the renewable/flexible packaging space with substantially larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Sappi: Global woodfibre-based materials company producing speciality papers, packaging boards, and bio-based packaging films. Comparable cellulose-derived materials portfolio for sustainable packaging end-uses.

Emerging players

• NatureWorks: Leading producer of PLA biopolymers used in compostable food packaging and films. Competes with Futamura's cellulose films in the broader compostable packaging category, representing an alternative material pathway.

Others

• Biopap: Italian food packaging converter and Futamura's 25-year strategic partner using NatureFlex films in compostable trays. Adjacent in the value chain as a downstream converter, providing demand-side comparable insight into compostable packaging adoption.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/natureflexfilms

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Futamura