News

SATO Innovates CL4NX Plus Cushioning for CO2 Reduction

Another step toward sustainable production with approximately 39% CO₂ reduction per unit

SATO Corporation is proud to announce that its flagship CL4NX Plus industrial label printer, which had previously been shipped with foamed plastic cushioning materials, are now being shipped¹ with environmentally friendly cardboard-based biodegradable cushioning as of May 2025.

Before and after

Heavy industry is a significant source of global CO₂ emissions and is still on a general upward trend even as industries seek to achieve net-zero targets. In manufacturing, emissions are projected to increase by 17 percent between 2024 and 2050². The SATO Group is working to reduce the environmental impact in the manufacturing and shipping of its products, and this is part of those efforts.

The new cushioning structure includes a honeycomb board attached to the cardboard frame to secure the printer known for its superior strength and shock resistance. We have conducted rigorous quality assurance testing on the reliability of the new materials through drop tests, vibration tests, and compression tests which show the new paper-based cushioning performs equally stable and secure packaging of printers on par with petroleum-based materials.

SATO estimates that the new material will deliver a 39 percent savings of CO₂ emissions per unit³. Based on fiscal year 2023 sales, it also expects to reduce approximately 8,596 kg of plastic waste annually.

As previously announced, the CL4NX Plus printers are now produced with recycled casing which contributes to CO₂ emission reductions while having no negative effect on product durability.

1. For products made in Malaysia

2. Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the Manufacturing Sector (CBO, Feb 2024)

3. Based on internal research. Reduction compares the use of cardboard material for cushioning vs foamed plastic.

About SATO

SATO (TOKYO:6287) designs and manufactures hardware, labels and tags and develops software to integrate with third party offerings as automatic identification solutions. These solutions streamline workflows, enabling data capture and visualization for a connected world of productivity, safety, reassurance and sustainability. By giving things a digital identity, SATO helps businesses in retail, manufacturing, food, health care and transport & logistics run smoothly. Founded in 1940, SATO has a presence in 26 countries with a workforce of over 5,900. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, it reported revenues of 154,807 million yen ($1.014 billion*)

More information about SATO can be found at www.sato-global.com.

*Based on an average exchange rate of 1 USD = 152.62 JPY