Final Activity Results (Co-creation period May 2024 - April 2026, 2 years)

Summary of Social Impact Self-Assessment (Co-creation Period: May 2024–April 2026; 2 years)

Regarding the KPIs set out in the logic model, the following targets were achieved: Collaboration with international organizations (target: 2/result: 4), countries surveyed (target: 5/result: 8), acceptance of documents and improvement cases reported by central and local governments in Japan (target: 10/result: 10), and the number of cases using data at clean-up activities by NPOs and other organizations (target: 10/result: 10). On the other hand, the following targets were not met: The number of press releases (target: 6/result: 5), media exposures (target: 10/result: 3), and the Takanome survey distance conducted using vehicles funded by this grant (target: 1,000,000km/result: 174,000km).

The progress and achievement of these KPIs contributed in the following ways to addressing the social issue Pirika seeks to solve, namely, litter contamination of the natural environment in Japan and overseas. By utilizing Mitsui & Co. Group vehicles to establish the largest survey structure in Japan and collaborating with central and local governments, NPOs, and other organizations, we were able to visualize the reality of litter contaminating the environment (target achieved in terms of the number of documents accepted and improvement cases reported). This led to direct measures at the field level, such as reviewing road litter-picking operations and supplementing illegal dumping patrols. The expansion of surveys to eight countries (over 100 countries including open data) and collaboration with four international organizations (in excess of a target of two) have established a foundation for tackling this cross-border global issue—something that cannot be achieved by a single company alone. Although the co-creation period was limited to two years, we consider that the establishment of a cycle of “survey → measures → international expansion” is an important achievement of our business through this collaboration.

Furthermore, the greatest impact achieved through this project was the first introduction of the Takanome system funded by a municipal budget overseas (La Victoria district, Lima, Peru). Achieving implementation in Peru, where large-scale illegal dumping is a serious issue, has given us confidence that our technology can make a difference not only in Latin America but also in other regions worldwide facing severe waste problems. Additionally, as a result of surpassing initial expectations, we were able to start developing a beach debris collection robot during the project period. By focusing the grant funds on research and development, we dramatically improved the performance of our waste-recognition AI, and our achievements during the project period were recognized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, resulting in a grant (about 240 million yen) for robot development. These factors greatly contributed to the launch of the robot project.

Thanks to the support of this fund, the Takanome business has significantly driven our performance, leading to record highs in critical indicators such as total survey distance, the amount of waste detected, and overall sales for Pirika. This success has provided us with a foundation to address the global waste problem. Although the co-creation period with this fund has ended, we will continue to leverage the relationships and learnings gained from Mitsui & Co. to dramatically expand our social impact going forward.

Co-creator’s Comments

This initiative helps address the social issue of litter leaking into the natural environment, which had been difficult to visualize, by combining Pirika’s technology with Mitsui & Co.’s business network to help grasp the issue quantitatively and contribute to more effective solutions. While we handle a wide range of raw materials and products, including packaging materials, they ultimately become waste after consumption. We therefore recognize the collection and reuse of such materials, as well as the prevention of their leakage into the natural environment, as important issues that require our continued attention.

Combining Pirika’s technology with our distribution network during the co-creation period has made it possible to quantitatively identify where litter is leaking into the environment, what types of litter are involved, and to what extent this leakage is happening. We expect this quantification data to be applied to the setting of priority areas for countermeasures, improving cleaning efficiency, and verifying the effectiveness of such efforts. In this sense, our initiative has the potential to provide a foundation for transforming the issue of litter leakage into the natural environment from a challenge addressed largely through intuition into one that can be measured and improved.

Even after the co-creation period has ended, we will continue to explore how we can collaborate with Pirika, and how we can link visualization to behavioral change among local governments, companies, and consumers alike. We will strive to achieve both the resolution of social issues and business growth through the implementation of the circular resource model.