On the day of the event, about 550 kilograms of washed-ashore garbage, which is 1/100 of the annual amount of washed-ashore garbage disposal*1 in Ishigaki City, was collected. Among the collected garbage, PET bottle garbage is reborn as thread by the mechanism of "UpDRIFT". As a record of this activity, the second-year students who participated produced original design pouches. Part of the pouch uses UpDRIFT thread. *2
Through this joint effort by the three companies, we aim to expand the cycle of thinking about environmental issues into the future.
*1…In 2021, Ishigaki city disposed of about 52 tons of drifted garbage (excluding PET bottles). About 80% of it is plastic waste.
*2…Using stock UpDRIFT threads.
■ State of implementation
The three companies that are working to contribute to the SDGs have decided to launch this project with the desire to provide students who will be responsible for the future with an opportunity to think about environmental issues.
This time, the first event, 311 second-year high school students from Tezukayama Gakuin Izumigaoka High School in Osaka Prefecture conducted a beach cleanup at Hoshino Beach in Ishigaki City during the school excursion period. About 550 kilograms of garbage was collected, which is 1/100 of the amount of garbage disposed of. (Breakdown of collection: 450 kg of plastic waste, 100 kg of PET bottle waste)
The students were very surprised to see so much garbage washed ashore on the beach, but at the end of the program, they said, "I want to pick up as many as I can" and "I want to keep the beach clean." I saw him continue. Some of the students said, "It would be nice if we could develop a device that collects microplastics in the sand in the future." It was seen that the program gave rise to opportunities to think and act.
As a record of this activity, the participating second-year students will create a pouch with an original design and part of the material will be made of "UpDRIFT" thread. In addition, among the garbage collected this time, plastic bottles will be reborn as fibers using the "UpDRIFT" system. We hope that the fibers created from the washed-ashore PET bottle waste collected by our own hands will be reborn into new items, and that it will be an opportunity to think about environmental problems and the circle of circulation will expand in the future.
■ Background
In recent years, at the 37th UNESCO General Conference in 2013, the Global Action Program (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) was adopted (2015-2019). In response, learning and educational activities aimed at realizing a sustainable society, taking the initiative in considering various contemporary social issues such as climate change, loss of biodiversity, and resource depletion as their own problems. It's been done. Furthermore, with the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as goals for the entire international community at the United Nations Summit in 2015, changes in new values and behaviors that lead to the solution of problems. It is becoming more important to engage in learning and educational activities that aim to bring about a sustainable society.
Reference: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology HP (https://www.mext.go.jp/unesco/004/1339970.htm)
Against this background, as a project that makes use of the strengths of each company, we provide opportunities for students who will be responsible for the future to learn about environmental issues as their own. The three companies will continue to contribute to the creation of a sustainable society through this collaborative program.
▲On October 22nd (Sat), several people divided into teams and collected garbage that washed ashore on the beach. After the collection, sorting work was also done, but there were voices of surprise at the various types of garbage washed ashore.
▲Beach cleaning before (left) and after (right)
▲October 23rd (Sunday) was rainy, so we worked indoors to extract the microplastics contained in the sand on the beach and challenged ourselves to sort the actual washed-ashore garbage that had been collected on the beach in advance.
■ About "Tourism for Tomorrow ~ Yaeyama Beach Clean Project ~"
It is estimated that 150 million tons of plastic already exist in the ocean, and 8 million tons of new plastic is said to flow into the ocean every year*1. Under these circumstances, the three companies working on projects that contribute to the SDGs are working together to consider creating content that will allow the students who will lead the future to "own" environmental issues. This program will start in September 2021. This program, which provides a place for young people to learn about environmental issues and think through their own activities, is not only used in educational settings such as high school school trips and university circles and seminars, but also corporate initiatives and employee training programs that are interested in the SDGs. We aim to be available as part of
*1. McKinsey & Company and Ocean Conservancy (2015), Neufeld, L., et al. (2016)
1. Pre-study
Students will learn in advance about the impact of marine plastic litter in the Yaeyama Islands on the ocean and living creatures, what happens after it is collected, etc., so that it does not end with "just activities to pick up marine litter".
2. Beach clean on Ishigaki Island
We will actually do Ishigaki Island beach cleanup activities. While learning the choice of reducing garbage, not generating it, and not throwing it away, we will practice activities to protect the beautiful sea of Ishigaki Island.
3. Making one-of-a-kind items with recycled materials
Among the drifting garbage collected through the activities, what about PET bottle waste TOYOSHIMA "UpDRIFT" is developed by "UpDRIFT" and reborn into fiber. Using this fiber, students create original apparel and bag products. For the students, it will lead to the experience of having an object (product) with an unprecedented story: "Garbage collected during cleanup activities to protect the beautiful ocean becomes something used in everyday life."
4. Feedback to your community
We will think and discuss what we can do in our own area and how to reduce waste, not generate it, and prevent it from being thrown away.
About UpDRIFThttps://updrift.jp/
Fibers developed by Toyoshima & Co., Ltd. made from garbage such as PET bottles scattered in the sea, rivers, and forests. "UpDRIFT" is one of the five missions in the SDGs Declaration announced by TOYOSHIMA in June 2020. Contribute to Creating materials that are friendly to the earth: Consumers' "wants" while tackling the problem of waste in the sea, rivers, and forests We aim to create products that are close to the following and achieve our mission.
■ Joint company Jomon Kikakuhttps://jomonkikaku.com/
With the slogan "Appreciate the richness of the past and create the future together", we will create an opportunity to solve environmental problems "on your own" through beach clean tours and upcycling workshops. Proposing a new lifestyle to the world from Ishigaki City, the SDGs future city. We plan to start a lab business in 2023 and provide a new Yaeyama sightseeing experience.
■ Nippon Travel Agency Co., Ltd.https://www.nta.co.jp/
Established in 1905, it is the oldest general travel agency in Japan, celebrating its 117th anniversary.
In response to the efforts of the "regional revitalization project" promoted by the government for the purpose of revitalizing the region, we support all fields related to exchange, centering on "travel", in order to contribute to the expansion of the non-resident population and economic development of the region. doing.
Following the Nippon Travel Agency SDGs Declaration in 2019, in March 2022, we signed the “Nippon Travel x Nichitripren SDGs Joint Declaration” with the Japan Travel Association, which consists of contracted accommodation facilities, and achieved the SDGs together. We have declared that we will contribute to the further development of the local tourism industry by co-creating efforts to solve regional issues and promote the efforts of each facility.
Lifestyle proposal trading company
■ Toyoshima & Co., Ltd. https://www.toyoshima.co.jp/
Founded in 1841. Based on our track record of over 180 years, we have expanded our business areas in response to the changing times. We are responsible for the overall supply chain of the fashion industry, from global procurement of raw materials to final product planning, production management, and delivery. In addition, as a company that proposes sustainable lifestyles, we will promote the development of sustainable materials and functional products for Society 5.0 society, and provide services that utilize information technology through investment and partnerships with tech ventures. I will proceed. Since 2019, we have set our company's stance under the statement "MY WILL".
