Euglena Co., Ltd. Challenges "Zero Garbage" in-house!
In response to the CFO's recommendation, internal awareness changed and improved, and a garbage reduction project was started.
Ishigaki Island's directly managed cafe acquired Okinawa Prefecture's first zero waste certification, trash can removal, etc.

Euglena Co., Ltd.

　Euglena Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, President: Mitsuru Izumo) has received the recommendation of the first CFO (Chief Future Officer: "CFO") * 1 under the age of 18 for sustainability.​ ​* 2 Each member of the Euglena Group, which aims to conduct business centered on the company, has reaffirmed its impact on the global environment, with the aim of reducing the amount of garbage discarded from the company. We will start a garbage reduction project aiming for "zero garbage" in the company.
* 1 In order to create the future with the aim of solving social problems, we believe that it is necessary for future generations to participate in management, and from 2019, under the condition of 18 years old or younger, CFO (Chief Future Officer) The position of the person in charge) is set up https://www.euglena.jp/cfo/
* 2 In the Euglena Group, employees are called "companies" with the same aspirations.

　We develop businesses centered on sustainability, and aim to contribute to sustainable initiatives for the future by allowing our customers to come into contact with the businesses and products we develop.
　In June 2020, following the recommendation of the first CFO under the age of 18, we decided to completely abolish PET bottle products and reduce the amount of plastic used in products by 50% by 2021 * 3. Euglena Group, which aims to develop its business centered on sustainability, should aim for "zero waste", such as removing in-house vending machines where PET bottled drinks can be purchased. ..
​* 3 Release regarding the total abolition of our PET bottle products on June 29, 2020 https://www.euglena.jp/news/20200629-2/

　On the other hand, after receiving the recommendation from the CFO, the awareness of friends about plastics and garbage has increased, such as carrying around my bottles in-house so as not to purchase PET bottle products as much as possible, and shopping with an awareness of avoiding plastic packaging. I am. Among them, some of my colleagues said, "I think we can reduce the amount of garbage discarded from the company by removing the company's trash can." With this as an opportunity, we aim for "zero garbage" in the company. The garbage reduction project has started.
　In addition, prior to the garbage reduction project, the directly managed cafe "Euglena Garden" operated by our company in Ishigaki City, Okinawa Prefecture, acquired zero waste certification, which is a certification system for waste reduction at business sites, for the first time in Okinawa Prefecture. Did.

Euglena Garden (appearance, left) that has acquired zero waste certification, and notification of examination results of zero waste certification system (right)

Specific activities are being implemented as follows, and we plan to further promote them in the future.

Garbage reduction project details
It is said that there are three typical methods for reducing waste, which are called 3Rs: "Reduce: reduce (reduce the generation of garbage)", "Reuse: reuse (reuse)", and "Recycle: recycle (recycle)". I am. Of these, "reuse" and "recycling" require energy consumption for waste treatment, and new environmental burdens are inevitable for waste reduction. On the other hand, among the 3Rs, "Reduce (control of waste generation)" has the smallest environmental load and can reduce waste, and since it is an initiative that we can immediately implement, our waste reduction project is "Reduce". (Control of garbage generation) ”is the main promotion.

■ Efforts in offices, etc.
・ Installation of a "garbage station" that visualizes garbage
Garbage boxes were removed and a "garbage station" was set up at the head office (Minato-ku, Tokyo), bio-jet diesel fuel production demonstration plant (Yokohama, Kanagawa), and Fukuoka sales office (Fukuoka, Fukuoka).
In order to realize "reduce (suppress the generation of garbage)", we first thought that "creating an environment where it would be troublesome to throw away" was necessary. I hope that the environmental design that takes a lot of time to dispose of trash by removing multiple trash cans in the office and consolidating them in one "garbage station" will lead to the action of "controlling the generation of trash". ..
At the "garbage station" in the head office, in order to thoroughly separate garbage, a transparent container with visible contents is installed, (1) garbage is thoroughly sorted into the following 12 types including recyclable garbage, and (2) "burnable garbage" with a large amount of garbage. And "Plastic, vinyl waste", observe how many days the collection container will be full and record the transition. Even at "garbage stations" other than the head office, when the container is full, the date and time are recorded and the amount of garbage is "visualized" to promote raising awareness of garbage reduction.
Through these efforts, we will continue to measure the amount of garbage discharged in the office, which will lead to the reduction of garbage.

 

Garbage sorting type at the garbage station

・ Removal of vending machines in the head office
Along with the abolition of our own products that use PET bottles, we have removed the vending machine that sells PET bottled beverages installed in the Tamachi office.

・ Install a water stand
Until now, we had installed a replaceable water server in our company, but we changed it to a water stand equipped with a water purification system. This will lead to the reduction of single-use plastic waste.

Garbage station in the Tamachi office office area that visualizes garbage

■ Euglena Garden obtains zero waste certification
Our directly managed cafe "Euglena Garden" on Ishigaki Island is the first in Okinawa Prefecture to be certified as zero waste. ※Four I got. Certification requirement,
　(1) We have the knowledge necessary for zero waste activities and are developing human resources for that purpose.
　(2) Appropriate waste separation and recycling
　③ There is a plan to continuously develop zero waste activities.
In particular, we will reduce the generation of garbage by utilizing local ingredients, devising ways to provide free services such as squeezing, utilizing ingredients that are normally discarded in the production and distribution process, and devising cooking methods and procurement of ingredients. The achievement was evaluated and four certifications were obtained.

* 4 The zero waste certification system is a certification system operated by the general incorporated association Zero Waste Japan. It is not about how to dispose of the waste that comes out, but "Zero" that tries not to generate waste in the first place.・ It is a system to publicly certify establishments engaged in "waste (eliminating waste and waste)" activities.

 

Other garbage initiatives
■ Implementation of in-house zero waste challenge week
We hold Zero Waste Challenge Week with the aim of raising awareness of "zero garbage" by measuring and reducing garbage not only for living in fellow offices but also for living at home. For two weeks from September 1st to 14th, 2020, 17 people (* excluding fellow family members) participated, measured the amount of garbage that normally comes out in the first week, and worked on reducing garbage in the second week. I measured it. As a result, comparing the first week and the second week, we were able to reduce the number of PET bottles by an average of about 52% and the amount of burning garbage by an average of about 28%.

■ Euglena house version Realization of a sound material-cycle society (barter, flea market)
In addition to bartering daily necessities that we don't need but can still use, we have built an initiative on the intranet that allows us to trade like a flea market.

■ Holding in-house study sessions and workshops
In-house by the CEO (Chief Environment Officer) of BIG EYE COMPANY Co., Ltd., which operates the experience-based environmental facility "Kamikatsu Town Zero Waste Center" WHY "" in Kamikatsu Town, Tokushima Prefecture, which was the first municipality in Japan to make a "Zero Waste Declaration". We hold study sessions and online workshops by our first CFO (Chief Future Officer) and summit members to learn about plastic waste for our colleagues and their families.

　Going forward, we will continue to create opportunities to raise the awareness of our colleagues so that they can continue to act in consideration of the environment, regardless of size, with the aim of realizing a sustainable society. I will.

<About Euglena Co., Ltd.>
In 2005, we succeeded in establishing the world's first edible outdoor mass culture technology for the Euglena In Euglena and chlorella, we are also conducting research toward the production of biofuels. Euglena GENKI Program, which has been in operation since 2014 to deliver Euglena cookies with abundant nutrients to children in Bangladesh, will be expanded to all group products including cosmetics from April 2019. Listed on TSE Mothers in December 2012. TSE First Section market change in December 2014. We define "Sustainability First" as the Euglena Philosophy and develop our business. https://euglena.jp

 

-Contact for inquiries from the press-
Euglena Co., Ltd. Corporate Communication Division