Japanese brewer Suntory Ltd. said on February 25 it had created an alternative to soil to help keep cities green, eyeing a growing market amid the battle against climate change.
The company will enter the gardening market next week with the product, which can cover roofs and walls in a bid to ease the so-called "heat-island" problem of temperatures rising in packed urban areas.
The phenomenon is especially serious in Tokyo, the world's largest metropolis, which is known for its lack of trees and extensive use of concrete and air-conditioning.
With an eye on the growing need to expand green space, Suntory created Pafcal, which it says is suitable for urban areas because it is lighter and more solid than soil.
Some 450 grams of the sponge-like material, which is made of the synthetic substance urethane, can be put to the same use as one kilo of soil, the company said. Leafy plants growing in the synthetic soil can reduce the roof temperature by 10 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit).
"This will make it possible to plant greenery on roofs and walls of buildings that have less load capacity," said Suntory's executive general manager Norio Kanayama.