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The Mitsui & Co. Environment Fund

Introduction to Grant Projects

Chubu Recycle Citizens' Organization

Creating a re-use and charity system for unneeded items in Nagoya

Activity grant

Project Description

Since Nagoya city declared a trash emergency in 1999, various cooperative recycling efforts by local government, residents, and businesses have had great success in reducing the amount of trash. However, trash and resource levels have reached a plateau, so the next step is to reduce trash by building a system for reusing objects. This project will build an 'unneeded item re-use and charity' system by collecting items not needed by residents at 're-use stations' in 46 locations around Nagoya, sell the donated goods at two 're-use shops' within the city, passing on any money earned to regional conservation initiatives. Through this activity, it aims to create a society not limited to mass consumption followed by mass recycling, but one where used items are re-used across the region before being recycled.

Grant year
FY2010 Activity Grants
Grant term
3 years
October 2010 - September 2013
Grant amount
7,000,000 yen
Activity region
Nagoya, Japan
Ecology Center Re☆ Warehouse, a permanent re-use shop

Overview of the Organization

Keisuke Wakita, Representative Director (co-representative)
Representative
Keisuke Wakita, Representative Director (co-representative)
Establishment
1980
Establishment purpose
Feeling a sense of crisis regarding the mass consumption, mass disposal nature of society, the Chubu Recycle Citizens' Organization was established by volunteers in the spirit of "let's start by doing what we can do". It aims to realize a local, recycling-based civic society through partnerships with various local stakeholders (residents, companies, local government, mass media, NPOs).
Main area of activity
Aichi Prefecture, Japan
Staff
4 full-time staff members, 9 part-time staff members, and 55 full members
Annual oprating budget
173.37 million yen in 2007, 163.20 million yen in 2008, 173.44 million yen in 2009
WEB site
http://www.es-net.jp/
Recent activities
The organization aims to create a sustainable future where all life co-exists in harmony by working with local people with diverse perspectives to realize a recycling-based society through activities in six core areas - 'creating re-use and recycling systems', 'supporting community and environment building by local government', 'developing individuals and environmental education', 'corporate partnerships', 'development and promotion of eco-products', and 'networking activities'.