Monday, May 16, 2022 | The Japan Times | 7

sustainable japan

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For ‘water optimizer’ company Brita, every drop counts
Roundtable
WARREN MEEHANCONTRIBUTING WRITER

Finding and defining a company’s purpose
is not an easy task, and once found, it iseven harder for a company to keep that
focus as it grows and evolves while trying
to respond to consumer demands and thevagaries of the market. But for Managing
Director Michael Magee and the team atBrita Japan, they know their North Star isto help create a more sustainable world.
“Since the company is so much aboutsustainability, it tends to attract people
who are already quite sustainabilityminded to begin with,” Magee said. Andit shows. From working on the Green
Project, a reforestation at Mount Fuji donewith an organization called Donguri noKai, now 10 years running and originallyconceived to preserve water runoff andthe water table, as well as partneringwith sustainability projects in the city ofKameoka west of Kyoto, sustainability ismore than just company and employee
branding — it is at the core of what Brita
does.
With so many companies today claiming to be on the sustainability club guest
list, how would Magee personally define
success for Brita? Easy: “If you ask a consumer for some sustainable brands andBrita came out near the top of that list,that would be a good outcome.”

Magee sat down with Ross Rowbury for
The Japan Times Sustainability Roundtable’s 19th iteration to explain what Brita
is doing to get on that list.
Brita was founded in 1966 in Taunusstein, Germany, by the entrepreneur Heinz
Hankammer, who had looked at existingwater filtration systems and saw a needfor providing water filtration to the consumer market. Brita, which according toMagee considers itself to be a “water optimizer” and now has a presence in over 70
countries, is perhaps best known to theJapanese consumer by its water jugs withbuilt-in filtration systems. Brita’s mainfunction is to rely on the waterworks to
supply the water, and then through its filter attachments optimize that water forthe consumer by taking out any taste ofresidues such as chlorine.

An awakening in the forest

So how did Magee come to be working for
Brita Japan, a company with sustainability
at its core, while finding his own purpose
along the way? It all began while growing
up on Hokkaido, where Magee had thegreat opportunity to surround himself
with nature, going camping, kayaking andhiking. While hiking in the forest, Magee
often came across trash on hiking trails,
leading him to recognize the contrast
between the beauty of nature and its fragility when disregarded.
Despite Hokkaido’s image of being an
island of pristine forests and lakes, theBorn and raised inJapan, Magee earned
an MBA from theUniversity of Michigan. He is bilingual,and has uniqueinsights into Japanese culture.
YUICO TAIYA FORPHOTOMATE

Michael Magee, managing director of BRITA Japan YUICO TAIYA FOR PHOTOMATEJapan of Magee’s youth in the 1960s was
also a nation racing to modernize andindustrialize at any cost, and the country
had few guardrails when it came to environmental regulations, especially withpollution. The town centers of Japan in
Magee’s youth were often heavily polluted, and rivers were sometimes toxic
from industrial runoff. This juxtaposition
between the pristine forests and lakes
that Magee loved and the polluted town
centers would later inform him about theimportance of optimizing sustainability
in business and the importance of giving
back.

Fighting marine plastic

Rowbury and Magee discussed the borderless problem of ocean plastic and how
the growing awareness of its devastating
effects on marine life is leading to a consumer revolution against too much plastic in everyday products, and how thatawareness is putting consumers aheadof the government in terms of action
and regulation — as Rowbury put it, “anexcellent example of consumers tending
to become more apathetic about theirdemocratic vote and turning to their ‘dollar’ vote.”
Magee agreed, but still sees a role forgovernment in solving issues such as
ocean plastic and considers the issues
even better served if business works in
combination with government — what hecalls “collective impact,” in which different
entities work together toward the sameobjective.
Magee gave the example of Brita working with Kameoka, the first city in Japanto ban plastic bags, in cleaning up thehistoric Hozu River, which once was polluted with plastic. In conjunction withthe local government, Brita ran seminars
on sustainability in high schools andworked with local movements for cleaning up the river. More recently, Brita has
begun working with the Osaka Blue
Ocean Vision, a prefectural initiative that
includes dealing with the problem ofocean plastic.
Brita has developed a convenient lightweight water bottle that filters ordinary
tap water into pure-tasting drinking water,
avoiding the need to constantly buy waterin unsustainable PET bottles and so saving
both money and the planet. PET bottles,
once considered a modern convenience,
are now choking the world’s waterways,
contributing to ocean plastic or ending
up in landfills — all while contributing toemissions of carbon dioxide.
Brita hopes to provide a more sustainable, cheaper and convenient solution
with its portable filtration bottles. While its
water jugs were designed to replace 2-literwater bottles, the filtration bottles are alightweight and portable version designed
to replace the ubiquitous 500-ml PET bottles bought from vending machines andstores. According to Magee, one replaceablefilter in a Brita bottle can filter up 150 liters

Two of Brita’s iconic consumer products: awater filter bottle and a jug YUIKO TAIYAof water, replacing 300 PET bottles. That is
300 fewer plastic bottles possibly ending up
in landfills, the environment or the ocean.

Taking the next small step

Magee conceded that Brita is a small company with only so much influence, but hereferenced some of the conclusions published in its “Sustainability Reports,” which
it produces regularly, as to why he remains
optimistic: “We specifically say that we don’t
agree that small steps don’t count — we area water company, so we believe that every
drop counts, so it’s important that even if it’s
not a world-changing move, to still take astep, and if everyone takes a step, it can leadto bigger things.”
So what drives the team at Brita to keep
taking these steps? Magee could only guess:“How much more exciting is it to tell yourfriends and family that you’re working for
a company that’s changing the way theydrink water sustainably, than saying you
work at a water filtrationcompany?”
Roundtable is a monthly series of Englishlanguage events organizedby The Japan Times Cube. For
more information visit https://sustainable.japantimes.com/roundtable

Foundations step in to help women rebuild Tohoku
ESG/SDGs
JOE MUNTALCONTRIBUTING WRITER

Ten years since the Great East Japan Earthquake triggered a powerful tsunami thatdevastated the Tohoku region, its effects
continue to reverberate among the mostvulnerable populations in the region.
The calamitous effects of the disasterare reflected in Tohoku’s depopulation — a40% decrease. Compounded by financial
crises, it has fractured communities, leaving
many people isolated in a deeply patriarchal
environment that has become a breeding
ground for violence against women, sexual
minorities and children, incidents of whichlargely remain hidden.
Through the Reconstruction Agency, theJapanese government has supported manyorganizations dedicated to serving these
populations. However, the agency recently
announced it would reduce its annual budget by 93% during its next 10 years of operation. This dramatic cut has the potential tobring financial ruin to many organizations,
thereby cutting off support to those whoneed it most.

In light of these circumstances, the UnitedStates-Japan Foundation and the Fish Family Foundation joined forces to provide agrant of ¥10 million ($75,000) to six womenled organizations, with the aim of buildinga resilient Tohoku for the future. Launchedin March 2021, this women-led project has
facilitated direct support to vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, children andyouths, single mothers and those experiencing disabilities. By providing opportunities
for employment and education to enhance
economic literacy, the project has also
empowered populations and enabled themto establish long-term independence.
Since its establishment in 1999, theBoston-based Fish Family Foundation has
focused on providing support to immigrants,
at-risk youths and people struggling withmental health. The foundation has also
actively supported areas affected by theGreat East Japan Earthquake through grants
to nonprofit organizations operating in theregion. For its most recent grant dedicated toTohoku, the foundation partnered with theUnited States-Japan Foundation, which wasfounded in 1980 to enhance ties between
Americans and Japanese.
In 2006, the Fish Family Foundation andits co-founder Atsuko Toko Fish establishedthe Japanese Women’s Leadership Initiative (JWLI), which, through its JWLI Fellows
Program, has fostered emerging female
leaders through hands-on experience andtraining sessions in nonprofit management
and leadership development. In 2017, JWLI
established the Champion of Change Japan
Award, which recognizes women who
address pressing needs in their communities. Since 2019, JWLI has also run a three-day
bootcamp on entrepreneurial leadershipwith the purpose of accelerating socialchange in communities in Japan. The leadersof the six recipients of the grant are all JWLIalumni: three Champion of Change Japan
Award finalists and three JWLI Bootcamp
participants.
A major goal of this project has been tolay the foundations for collaborative partnership between grantees. During an online
session held on April 28, the six grantees
joined representatives of the Fish Family
Foundation and the United States-JapanFoundation to report on their activities anddiscuss how they intend to utilize their new
collaborative network to create a resilient
Tohoku.
One of the grantees, Rera — which pro-Grantees and representatives of the FishFamily Foundation
and and the UnitedState-Japan Foundation at the online
session held on April
28 FISH FAMILY
FOUNDATION

vides transportation to the elderly anddisabled to assist them in essential activities such as grocery shopping and hospital
visits — utilized this collaborative network
to strengthen its fundraising efforts while
spreading awareness of its partners’ activities. Yuka Takahashi, founder of Switch— an organization that provides skill training, career coaching and academic support— also touched on the benefits of the collaborative network. “Working together andlearning about our specific strengths has
led to discussions about how we can assist
each other,” she said. “This type of collective
impact is something I hope to build goingforward.”

Regarding future collaboration, Shoko
Monma, founder of Mia Forza — an organization focused on alleviating food insecurity — hopes to have other representativesof grantees speak to students at Aoba Joshi
Gakuen, a junior high school for incarcerated girls in Sendai with which Monma frequently collaborates. “I would love for thewomen leaders gathered here to share theirexperiences with these students,” she said.
“It will surely expand their awareness of thechoices available to them.”
Junko Yagi, founder of Community Space
Umineko, an organization focused on economic revitalization through job creation
for the elderly, also expressed excitement

toward the future of their collaborative network: “It is so great that us coming together
can bring happiness to many people, andI look forward to working with everyone
into the future.”
These sentiments were also expressedby Yoshie Kaneko, founder of Yappesu —an organization dedicated to transforming
the lives of women by imparting knowledge and tools needed to become independent entrepreneurs — and Rika Hamade,founder of 1mm Innovation, a nonprofit
educational hub for women entrepreneurs.
Tomoyuki Watanabe, Japan representative of the United States-Japan Foundation,
as well as Atsuko Fish, trustee of the Fish
Family Foundation and founder of JWLI,
also attended the online session. After listening to the discussions among grantees,
Watanabe noted with great enthusiasm
about how the network among grantees
has deepened over the course of the project. In her closing remarks, Fish expressed
her excitement toward the future of thiscollaborative network and her admiration
toward the grantees’ unrelenting optimism.
“I believe the foundations being laid hererepresent just the beginning of something
very big for the future,” she said.

RIKA HAMADE
FOUNDER OF 1MM INNOVATIONYOSHIE KANEKOFOUNDER OF YAPPESUSHOKO MONMA
FOUNDER OF MIA FORZA

Prior to founding 1mm Innovation in 2020, Rika Hamade successfully
ran her own startup and coached over 200 women. Her organization
is a nonprofit hub for female entrepreneurs in Tohoku that provides
mentorship programs, workshops and pitching events. Her annual
event in Tohoku to promote women’s empowerment is one of the largest of its kind and has attracted up to 600 attendees. With the supportof the new grant, her organization was able to focus on its empowerment program, centered on imparting information technology skills to63 participants. Overall, her organization served 353 participants in the2021 fiscal year. She is an alumnus of the 2019 JWLI Bootcamp.

Yoshie Kaneko is the founder of Yappesu, based in Ishinomaki, Miyagi
Prefecture. Established in 2011, Yappesu works to transform the lives ofwomen affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake by imparting thetools and knowledge needed to become financially independent entrepreneurs. She runs an incubator and community center to expand her
women entrepreneurship program and accelerate innovation. In 2017,
she received the Prime Minister’s Award in recognition of her regionalachievements. This year she handed off the reins of her organization inorder to prepare for a run for the city council. She was a finalist of the2017 Champion of Change Japan Award and is an alumnus of the 2019 JWLI Bootcamp.

JWLI Bootcamp.

HIROKO MURASHIMAFOUNDER OF RERAYUKA TAKAHASHIFOUNDER OF SWITCH

JUNKO YAGIFOUNDER OF COMMUNITY SPACE UMINEKO

Hiroko Murashima is the founder of Rera, situated in Ishinomaki.
Established in 2011, Rera provides transportation to the elderly andthose with disabilities to aid them in essential daily activities such as
grocery shopping and visits to the hospital. Serving around 15,000
people every year, her service is a lifeline for those living alone, providing a crucial source of human connection. She often speaks on
the topic of mobility as a service and is invited to lead workshops
focused on training local leaders for policy changes. She was a finalistof the 2019 Champion of Change Japan Award and is an alumnus of
the 2019 JWLI Bootcamp.

Yuka Takahashi is the founder of Switch, based in Sendai and Ishinomaki. Established in 2011, Switch aids people facing mental healthchallenges who have lost their will to learn, work or even live. Her
organization is comprised of four centers from where she provides
skill training, career coaching and academic support. With the support of this grant, she launched Note Cafe, an outreach initiative atpublic high schools where students can receive consultation andattend lectures in a comfortable environment. The organization visited high schools a total of 38 times and offered consultation to 99
students. She was a finalist of the 2019 Champion of Change Japan Award.

Junko Yagi has decades of experience working with children in Ishinomaki and nearby Onagawa. Immediately following the Great East
Japan Earthquake, she worked closely with single mothers, children,
the elderly and other vulnerable populations at evacuation centers. In2012 she founded Community Space Umineko, which runs a farm andcafe and contributes to economic revitalization through job creation for
the elderly, women and youths. With the support of the grant, Yagi provided a plethora of inspiring opportunities for the elderly and youths
to come together to create a wide array of crafts, such as flower aroma
bags and bath mats, using a variety of materials. She is an alumnus of the 2019 JWLI Bootcamp.

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Drawing from her more than 25 years of experience working withvulnerable women and children, she founded Mia Forza, her mostrecent organization in Sendai in 2021.
Mia Forza, my strength in Italian, is a nonprofit that helps alleviate poverty among single-parent households and survivors of violence by operating a shelter, food pantry and a hotline.
With the support of this grant, Mia Forza assisted a total of 772
people — 505 children and 267 adults — through food pantries
and other forms of food-related aid. She is an alumnus of the 2019