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Concerns for better environment for the earth are increasing worldwide, retail stores, convenience stores and supermarkets in Japan stopped providing shoppers with free plastic bags on July 1. It is part of all-industry consolidated activities to reduce plastic waste in seashores.

Yanagisawa Wind Instrument Inc., a Tokyo-based saxophone specialist maker, selected MAPKA, new material for its ligature caps in replace of plastics.

Developed by Eco Research Institute Ltd., MAPKA is an eco-biotic plastic and paper composite material made of 51% paper powder and 49% polypropylene. Easily molded as plastic materials, it is a remarkable material developed in Japan with low contraction, stiffness and heat resistant features. Yanagisawa has completed a new cap for Yany SIXS ligature using MAPKA and started distribution recently. (photo left: New Yany SIXS ligature in a paper package comes with an exclusive cap made of eco-friendly MAPKA material.)

Yukihiro Sato, engineer of Yanagisawa Research & Development Laboratory, says, “Throughout the industries manufacturers are moving to eliminate plastics in their products toward environment-friendly society adopting bio plastics and other alternative materials. In search of new paper-based materials we have found MAPKA. It has made clear that it can be processed and molded just like conventional ABS plastics. The new ligature cap completed after intensive studies of the new material.” Largely made of paper, it has equivalent or superior capabilities and features than plastics. (photo right: Kiyoshi Murakawa, left and Yukihiro Sato)

Yany SIXS ligatures for alto, soprano, tenor and baritone saxophones now come with a cap made of MAPKA along with a paper package and a cloth pouch. The production line underwent streamlining, they are distributed at 22,000 yen a little lower than the previous models.

Kiyoshi Murakoshi, Sato’s colleague at Yanagisawa Research & Development Laboratory commented, “We are sorry that official introduction of the new ligature cap came in at the time of COVID-19 outbreak. We have lost opportunity to launch the new cap at Musical Instruments Fair Japan in October. But fortunately, it has gained recognition in the market after June. Yany SIXS’s rich and brilliant tonal color and great sound dispersion capability are attributed to patent pending 6 different spaces created on 6 points of the ligature which professional players both in Japan and overseas highly praise. It is also well referred on SNS. We expect the renewed eco-friendly package to be selected by wider walks of players including students.” (photo right: former Yany SIXS left and matched cap. Plastics and vinyl are used for the package and envelopes.)

Using paper 41%, MAPKA has acquired biomass label which supports prevention of global warming, and Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) proceeded by 193 UN member countries. It is a clever step of saxophone manufacturer to serve better and sustainable environment.