[New Plastic Law Begins]Why did the wooden house company mass-produce wooden straws for the first time in the world Fuji TV commentator Makoto Suzuki

The “New Plastics Law

” came into effect on April 1. Japan has also introduced a nationwide charge for plastic shopping bags in 2020, amid growing global interest in the issue of ocean plastic litter. More recently, the food and beverage industry is ramping up efforts to eliminate plastic straws and introduce paper and wood straws.

Before that, in 2018, we interviewed Aqura Home, which successfully mass-produced wooden straws for the first time in the world.

Law on promoting recycling of plastic resources

When I heard it was a wooden straw, I thought, “What?”

Toshiya Miyazawa, the president of Aqura Home, is also called “President God” by the carpenter.

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Originally, it cost 10,000 yen to make a wooden straw.

As a log house company, wooden straws may be good

The project was proposed by Ayano Nishiguchi, a publicist who was working at the company for the seventh year at the time. Mr. Nishiguchi talked about that time.

Ayano Nishiguchi, who came up with wooden straws, joined the company as a publicist for the seventh year in a row.

Another concern of President Miyazawa is whether there is something that affects the human body.

“Wooden straws were unprecedented. I told her, ‘If something goes wrong, the company goes out of business.’ But we kept telling her to contribute to society and the environment. When building wooden houses. As craftsmen, we reduced as much as possible More hardware. And as a company, we employ diverse human resources, management that aims to develop people and inspire potential. I decided to try to develop.”

Organizing difficulties faced by wooden straws

This is where his proposed struggle for Mr. Nishiguchi begins. He originally studied environmental systems engineering at university, but after spending all his time cheerleading, he said, even after joining Aqura Home, “I was just thinking about selling my house.”

“Initially, an environmental reporter asked me if I could make a wooden straw, and I started to want to do my part for the people who take care of me. By making wooden straws, I faced difficulties in organizing because I was told that I just needed Doing PR within the company.”

Tokyu Capitol Hotel Tokyo introduces wooden straws

All kinds of stories in a straw

“I’m really an amateur on environmental issues. Before I studied straws, I didn’t even know the word SDGs, but now I think it’s really important to think about sustainability in everything. I’ve learned a lot from straws stuff, so I want to promote the event in schools and companies in the future. I think the environmental theme is something that can be done with any school or company. And that effort has already started.”

(Mr. Nishiguchi)

The new plastic law starts on April 1st. As environmental awareness increases, Mr. Nishiguchi expressed his expectations.

This year’s Dubai Expo also used wooden straws