This week in Circular Economy in Japan (23 April)

Upcycling curtains into sharing jackets

Maru Sankaku Shikaku Co. Ltd. will launch a sharing jacket service called “Luciorta” starting 28 April.

The jackets provided by Luciorta are made by upcycling offcut fabric from custom-woven, high-quality curtains. Utilizing the skills developed in our custom-made suit business, we carefully tailor each jacket, bringing out the unique patterns and textures characteristic of the luxurious curtain fabric. Registered users of this service can choose and borrow jackets from the lineup whenever needed.

Offcut fabric refers to the leftover pieces of material that typically come from clothing factories. These remnants are often discarded during the garment production process but can be repurposed or upcycled, giving them a second life and promoting sustainable fashion practices.

Luciorta hopes to attract career women who are entrepreneurs, managers, corporate executives, lecturers, and MCs working at the forefront of the business scene and have an interest in a circular economy. By using this service, users will realize their participation in an environmentally conscious sharing model and embrace a lifestyle that contributes to a circular society.

Continued partnership to promote forest regeneration

Watami Co. Ltd. renews its collaboration agreement with the Save Earth Foundation (SEF) to continue their joint efforts in promoting forest regeneration, conservation, and environmental education at the Aichi Maritime Forest in Seto City, Aichi Prefecture. The partnership, established in 2020, involves Watami employees and local community members in various activities.

The Aichi Maritime Forest focuses on preserving the wisdom of nature for future generations and serves as a learning hub for forests and rural landscapes. With the agreement renewal, Watami and SEF will hold events four times a year, targeting employees and locals, featuring forest conservation tasks and experiences that foster coexistence with nature, such as nature observation and crafting.

Circular solution for lumber management

EMARF, a cloud pre-cut wood service, has initiated the alpha version of its new digital platform, EMARF scan, targeting over 150 ShopBot owners and forestry workers across the nation. It will enable them to utilize wood that would be discarded by scanning and digitizing non-standard and uneven materials generated during wood production and processing.

The platform aims to create a circular society by digitizing hard-to-distribute wood and enabling its management and sales. EMARF scan allows for instant conversion of wood into DXF data using smartphone images, centralizing lumber management and sales.

By digitizing non-standard wood and facilitating online management and sales, the platform expands wood distribution for producers and wood utilization possibilities for consumers, including designers and planners.