TOKYO >> Sony Corp. will begin replacing plastic packaging with eco-friendly materials in April 2023.

The company will start introducing the new packaging, made from recycled paper and bamboo, with smaller products sold worldwide, such as smartphones and headphones.

Sony will also look at repackaging larger products, such as TVs, to eliminate the use of plastics completely.

The new packaging will first be used for products that weigh less than 2-1/4 pounds. Already, packaging for the Xperia smartphone and some wireless earphones are plastic-free.

In 2021, Sony Group Corp. and its subsidiaries used 94,000 tons of packaging materials.

Since Japan’s Plastic Resource Circulation Law went into effect in April, the government has been requiring companies to reduce the use of plastic products.