Eco-Products Exhibition 2008　Report　－Green Exhibition－

2009年02月02日 | Staff Essay

by: Shoko Sugasawa

Eco-Products Exhibition 2008 was held from Dec 11th to Dec 13th .
Today, I’d like to share my short report from Eco-Products 2008.

This year, Eco-Products made progress to become one of green exhibition.
We found many booths with decrease environmental load; using reusable parts and LED lights.
Actually, I heard from one of organizer that the amount of waste from exhibits decreased from previous years.

The picture below is OJI PAPER GROUP’s booth, which is also featured in Eco-Products official website as one of the most environmentally-friendly booth. (Japanese website)

Almost all the parts are reusable material of papers, and it achieved zero-electricity consumption.

For the exhibition in the next year, introducing environmentally-friendly booths in official website would be an incentive for other exhibitors to attract participants with green minds.

Eco-Products Exhibition was the 10th anniversary this year.
Let’s focus on how it will embark on a new chapter for making the exhibition greener.
Green booth will be reflected this year at 2009 exhibition. I hope to see creative and more greener companies/organization displaying their products/services.

Tour Report from Frank Ling (Guide Staff)

2009年01月28日 | Staff Essay

Frank Ling

Group Tour1
In the first tour, we were joined by two participants from the US embassy, two students from Switzerland and an investor from Singapore. Our tour began with an introduction through at the 10th anniversary display on Japan’s vision for Low Carbon Society.

The first booth started at METI where we discussed Japan’s efforts to invest in energy efficiency and energy production through the development of industrial technologies. The next stop was NEDO, highlighting uniquely designed wind turbine “Air Dolphin” from Zepher. Next, the group visited the Ricoh booth where we saw their paper replacement. The embassy official was quite impressed with the demonstration of the disappearing image from the heat treated plastic film.

After passing by the Casio boothsakam (cardboard based booth), we went for a tour through the Inkmax.

The next section Oji highlighted new technologies in paper recycling. There were samples showing the difference between 100% recycling paper and brand new paper.

The next stop was the Kuraray and their water purification technology. In the near future, water issues will be as important as energy issues and there will be a lot of demand for water purification and remediation technologies.

We briefly passed by the Eco-lab plaza to show how Japanese companies to improved in efficiency in their home electronics and appliances. The end uses comprise up to 30-40% of all energy use in homes and could be reduced by up to 50% depending on the innovations being employed.

Next, we visited the JFS booth on the other side of the hall.

Group Tour 2
This tour started at the 10th anniversary booth but unlike yesterday’s tour, we went around the opposite direction.

First, we went to JFS and then to SMBC.
Then, we looked at the Sekisui house and then because of interest in architecture, we stopped by the demonstration on the moss for rooftops as a cooling mechanism for buildings.

Next, we headed to the opposite side of the hall where we checked out the Eco-Labs section first. Then, we went by the bioplastics booth, which described plastics being made from rice.

We went by the paper recycling demo and then briefly stopped by InkMax. Finally, we saw the Ricoh booth and then NEDO’s air dolphin wind turbine.

Individual Tour 1
Participant was interested in catalytic material produced by Mitsubishi materials. He was interested in building materials that could break down NOx pollutants and had a potential licensee in China. Afterwards, we discussed investment opportunities in cleantech. We concluded that there is great potential for Japan to license its technologies.

Individual Tour 2
From tour 2, participant was journalist from publishing company. We examined some from the highlights from the group tours including JFS, building materials, InkMax, and Ricoh as well as Fuji Xerox.

The top 10 environment-related news items for 2008

2009年01月16日 | Staff Essay

by: Shoko Sugasawa

NIKKEI disclosed the top 10 environment-related news items for 2008 on 26th November.
3695 viewers of NIKKEI web voted for the ranking.
http://eco.nikkei.co.jp/news/today/article.aspx?id=MMECn2001025112008 (Japanese)

Here are top 3news from the ranking.
No1.Green car l（electric car and hybrid car）has started to phase into actual spread period
No2Growing numbers of eco-bag and movements of reducing uses of plastic bag
No3.Japanese government declared to aim 50% CO2 reduction by 2050 in the Toya-ko　Lake Summit.

One of the biggest green news for 2008 in Japan were related to “green car”. This was unexpected, because I don’t use car in my daily life.
On the other hand, I was more familiar with number two ranked news In Tokyo, clerks in convenience stores started ask their customers whether they need plastic bag or not, and I am happy to see increase in the number of young people with eco-bags .
About No3, I saw few models of green lifestyle which enables us to cut 50% of CO2 emission in Eco-Products Exhibition this year.
Here are the lists of examples of green ideas from the model; 1)Filtering drainage from kitchen and watering it for vegetable garden, 2)Shifting lights to LED and powering them by solar energy generated in balcony.

What is biggest green news for 2008 in your country?

Carbon footprint in Japan

2008年11月25日 | Staff Essay

by: Shoko Sugasawa

One of Japanese largest brewery company, Sapporo breweries has announced to release canned beer with its carbon footprint label in 2009.

Carbon footprint is an index which shows the amount of GHG emitted during whole lifecycle of goods or services. Lifecycle includes production, use, and disposal.

The movement of carbon footprint has started in UK.[carbon reduction label]
Carbon Reduction Label is created by UK's leading authority, the Carbon trust.

http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/default.ct
The Carbon trust has conducted experimental projects of Carbon Reduction Label　with several companies in UK.As a international movement concerning carbon footprint, ISO has started to consider adding a calculation of carbon footprint to ISO standards.

In Japan, Ministry of Economy,Trade and Industry(METI) has been addressing on setting up a domestic committee to aim establishment of carbon footprint policy.
METI will also exhibit sample products with carbon footprint calculated by dozens of companies in Eco-Products Exhibition 2008. Issues of carbon footprint in Japan has just started.

「Carbon footprint in Japan」の続きを読む

Greening by Moss

2008年11月05日 | Staff Essay

by: Shoko Sugasawa

Greening projects using moss have been conducted at many sites in Japan in recent years in order to deal with the heat-island effect*.
*abnormal warming of the urban atmosphere due to the heat concentration

In addition to its features of absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) outputs and lowering the surface temperature of buildings, a moss panel can be easily attached and does not require maintenance efforts. An increasing number of companies are using these panels for greening buildings.
26th October 2008,Japan for Sustainability
http://www.japanfs.org/db/2238-e

Because it has been used for Japanese garden or it was sung in famous traditional songs,moss is familiar to Japanese people.
In Kyoto, there is a temple called "Koke-dera" whose garden is covered by moss.
The word "Koke" means moss, and "dera" means temple.

In Eco-Products Exhibition, there are some booths which introduce their greening goods using moss.

Ex. Valore Corp.
International Environment Design Association. Co, Ltd
Moss yamagata
Moss World,Inc.

pic.[International Environment Design Association. Co, Ltd]

Japanese Biodiversity

2008年10月25日 | Staff Essay

by: Shoko Sugasawa

Ministry of the Environment has announced opening information providing website
about biodiversity and holding skull session for COP10.
These announcements are preparations for COP10 and MOP5 in 2010 in Aichi,Japan.
The countdown to COP10 is shown on the top page of the website.
http://www.biodic.go.jp/biodiversity/ (Japanese)

Japan has fostered a wealth of biodiversity in its various natural environment
formed by Japanese unique lifestyles.

For example, do you know the word "satoyama"?
It means an agricultural area located between human settlements
and hilly areas, where the ecosystem has been managed and maintained
by the local community. The methods used are in harmony with nature
and support biodiversity.

A typical satoyama is mainly composed of planted coppice forests
around villages, together with rice fields, other agricultural plots,
water reservoirs, and grasslands, etc.
Many coppice forests were poorly managed in Japan for the half-century
after the country's main energy source shifted from firewood to petroleum,
thus leading to biodiversity loss.
In recent years, not only in satoyama, but in many places in Japan,
the significance of biodiversity has come to be recognized.

In Eco-Products Exhibition, there is the biodiversity area.
In that area, they will introduce the activities of preserving biodiversity
by the private sector.Ex1.Establishing suitable environment for living things
on the streets or rooftops of buildings in urban area.
Ex2.Supporting preservation of unused agricultural land
or nature in city fringes.

Visiting this corner would be a chance to learn Japanese biodiversity
and think about biodiversity in your country or the entire globe.

The Banana Textile Project

2008年10月10日 | Staff Essay

by: Shoko Sugasawa

This is a picture of students from Tama Art University' giving a present to Paul Kagame.
(President of Rwanda)

photo:Banana blog -Japanese-

This colorful garment is made from an unexpected material.
You may be surprised that this material is made from banana stalk.

"The Banana Textile Project" by Tama Art University.
For more information please visit URL link below.
http://www.tamabi.ac.jp/kyoumu/gendaigp/banana/index.html

"The Banana Textile Project" started from year 2000, with an aim to preserve environment and support developing countries through construction of fabric production system.
(In tropical countries, mass disposal of banana stalk has become a problem.)

"The Banana Textile Project" is also a part of the curriculum of Tama University.
I'd like to focus on some of the appealing points about this curriculum.

First, work in this class will support people in developing countries. Many students will be motivated to study this course to realize and take action toward the problems of global issues.

Second, students have oportunities to join special lectures. For example,
presenters varies from enviromental activist to CEO from big corporation.

After the project, each student will cultivate knowledge or interest he or she receive in this project.
In addition to tangible meaning like reduction of banana stalk disposal,
these influences for students are also significant point of this project.

Tama Art University will join Eco-Products Exhibition this year and will display creative project like “The Banana Textile Project”.

Furoshiki - Japanese traditional cloth -

2008年09月25日 | Staff Essay

by: Shoko Sugasawa

Hello, everyone.I'm Shoko Sugasawa, a writer of staff Essay in the Eco-Navigator.

This year in 2008, will be the 10th Anniversary for Eco-Products Exhibition.
I like to introduce you to eye-catching eco-friendly products and services from Eco-Products Exhibition, and ongoing green news in Japan.

Today's topic is "Furoshiki", Japanese traditional cloth for wrapping.
Why is Furoshiki considered as eco friendly products?　Furoshiki can be used again and again, and it became public limelight where Japanese are worrying about using unnecessary wrapping from stores..

One of the amazing things about Furoshiki is that it requires your free imagination to make it work. From 1 cloth, you can wrap a broad range of things in various of shapes . You can devise creative way to wrap things by changing the fold or tie them up.
With Furoshiki, even bottles in different sizes can be wrapped up like this!

I wrapped these bottles by myself.

After undoing knots, it can be fold into compact and easy to carry Furoshiki.
So some people in Japan carry them as Eco-bags.In this web site, you can find creative ways to wrap with Furoshiki. I'm sorry it's only in Japanese, but you can see them by clicking small photos.
http://www.kakefuda.co.jp/furoshiki/index.html

Some people use Furoshiki even for babies!

Photo:Kakefuda Kyoto

I think Furoshiki is eco-products with significant features, it has capabilities to stimulate people's imagination by using it.

Here are my thoughts about eco-products:
When you feel inconvenience in your life, please think about things you have now instead of buying new products. When you buy new products, please imagine about how these products can change your life and make an impact to the world.

To realize sustainable society, imagination is one of most important thing.
Please arouse your imagination while reading this blog.
And if you get interested in Japanese eco-products, why don't you come Eco-products Fair?
We're looking forward to sharing eco-products info from all over the world with you at Tokyo Big Sight!