Japan-based packaging developer Toppan has created the country's first paper-based pillow pack for trading cards with light-blocking properties.

The company said the pack contains no plastic, using instead a structure made only of a paper base and a heat-seal coating layer.

One challenge for paper packaging has been that the contents may be visible through the material.

The new pack blocks 98% or more of light, so the cards inside cannot be seen before opening to prevent "pack searching", in which buyers try to identify rare cards without opening the pack.

It added that the pack has a metallic appearance.

Toppan said the paper content accounts for more than 51% of the pack by weight, meaning it is eligible for the "Paper Mark" (recycling symbol for paper) in Japan.

The company applied aluminium vapour deposition to the paper material to achieve the light-blocking effect.

Toppan developed dedicated machinery for making the pouches, including changes to feed rollers and specialised jigs for the folding unit.

According to the company, this reduces wrinkling in paper-based pillow packaging and supports high-speed folding.

Samples are available from this month while mass production on a dedicated line is due to start in late 2026. Toppan plans to have a capacity of 30 million packs a year by the time full production begins.

Earlier this year, PureCycle Technologies and Toppan partnered to develop more sustainable options for flexible films and thermoformed packaging.

That collaboration resulted in a snack bar wrapper containing over 30% recycled content, produced using PureCycle’s PureFive resin.