It can be difficult to imagine a zero waste cafe or restaurant, especially in Japan, where food waste amounts to more than 6 million tons annually. However, two zero waste cafe owners, who have achieved Zero Waste Accreditation from Zero Waste...
A revolution is rising in Sagiura, a quiet village northwards Izumo, Shimane Prefecture. Not of regime change, but one that promises humanity’s recall back into nature. Here, Atsuo Shiga is uncovering the secrets of the Camellia, also known as...
“How can SMEs be sustainable?” There is no better time for Japan to ask this question. More than 80% of registered businesses in Japan are SMEs. With the COVID-19 crisis impacting the nation, vulnerabilities in systems are exposed and...
Last Friday, Greenpeace Japan released a new service online, “Goodbye Waste,” a map where users can find stores so they can practice zero waste! In a survey conducted last October, Greenpeace Japan found out that 80% of the...
Against the backdrop of a world slipping into an irreversible pattern of unsustainability, a Circular Economy seems to offer an answer for businesses. It spurs enterprises to do better for society and the environment without sacrificing profits, and...
Make no mistake about it. The circular economy is a global growing concept receiving nods. It encourages businesses to look at themselves, find a way to create zero environmental impact, and reduce taking resources from the environment. And many...
A common question we often tackle is, “How do we become more sustainable?” Of course, we have to choose to be. Our lifestyles should orient towards sustainability, like picking sustainable fashion, ethical food and fair trade products...
One may not think poverty is an issue in Japan. After all, Japan’s nominal GDP is ranked third globally. It is also advanced in both medical and technological aspects and is one of the world’s top consumption centers. Yet, poverty...
Even among the non-Okinawan Japanese, they may not be familiar with the Okinawa cuisine, Taco Rice. The unique dish is a stack of taco ingredients on rice, which is hard to imagine at first, but can be quite heavenly in an expert chef’s hands...
What do you do with an old smartphone that you have replaced? What do you do to ensure your data remains private? To be honest, I’ve kept two old smartphones in the corner of my storeroom for years. I don’t mean to hoard e-waste...