On 13 October, Zenbird conducted a Kanagawa one-day tour for Singaporean government officials for an up-close visit to circular businesses in the prefecture. With Yokohama City’s commitment to strengthen its efforts to create a circular...
Nature Innovation Group, operator of the umbrella-sharing service ikasa, announced last week that it has raised 350 million yen in a Series B funding round. The impact investment from Nippon Television Holdings will fuel the expansion of its rental...
Home improvement retailer CAINZ has partnered with the Nagoya City to launch a resource circulation programme, starting with a collection and circular service for used household gardening soil. The collaboration begins with a horizontal recycling...
The World Wide Fund for Nature Japan (WWF Japan) and the Global Compact Network Japan (GCNJ) announced the publication of a new strategic guide on 23 October. The Japanese edition of the “Circular Economy Strategy Guide: A step-by-step guide...
Sumitomo Mitsui Auto Service (SMAS) has started supplying used electric vehicles to a group company of The Sumitomo Warehouse, creating a reuse model for corporate fleet electrification. The collaboration involves SMAS providing “Reuse...
Kikkoman Corporation announced it will start converting factory plastic waste into oil through chemical recycling. The food and soy sauce manufacturer will be collaborating with recycling technology specialist CFP Corporation and chemical producer...
Japanese general contractor Takenaka Corporation has partnered with ChopValue Japan to develop circular building materials from upcycled urban resources. The joint research and development project aims to reduce the carbon footprint of the real...
A new material made from bamboo-derived cellulose nanofiber (CNF) has been developed to produce plectrums for the Japanese koto, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional ivory. The product, developed by Sera Creations, will be showcased at...
A partnership in Shiga Prefecture has successfully harvested the first crop of cotton grown with compost made from discarded clothing, creating a tangible model for a circular economy in the fashion industry. The harvest festival for the “Kamakura...
Paper company Pepal has developed a new circular packaging material named Usumi Craft, set to release next month. The material combines biochar from unused resources with recycled cardboard, inspired by a 1,300-year-old recycled paper culture that...