# Approaches of citizens and civilian organizations for establishment of a sound material-cycle society

There are now already several advanced approaches, and we now introduce some leading-edge cases of private organizations which were awarded the following prizes in fiscal 2009: 1) “Citizen-made Environment-Friendly Town Genki Grand Prix” sponsored by the Specified Nonprofit Activities Corporation, known as the Genki Net for Creating a Sustainable Society, 2) “Commendation for Contributors to Promote the Establishment of a Sound Material-Cycle Society by the Minister of the Environment” sponsored by the Ministry of the Environment and 3) “Promotion Forum $ ^{*} $ 1, 3) “Prize of the Minister of the Environment for 3Rs Promotion for Waste Containers and Packages” and 4) “Prize of the Minister of the Environment for Food Recycling Promotion” sponsored by the Ministry of Environment, 5) “Prize of the Prime Minister for Contributors to Promote Reduction, Reuse and Recycling” sponsored by the Reduction, Reuse and Recycling Promotion Council $ ^{*} $ 2 and 6) “Prize of the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry for Resource Recycling Technologies and System” sponsored by the Clean Japan Center.

## $ ^{*} $ 1 3Rs Promotion Forum

“3Rs Promotion Forum” established in January 2006 consists of members of local municipalities and private organizations, advances further social efforts on 3Rs with advanced technologies and promotes further 3Rs activities being vividly aware of change to a sound material-cycle society. In fiscal 2009, it jointly held “The 4th National 3Rs Promotion Convention” with the Ministry of the Environment and Chiba City and spread and enlightened 3Rs measures through events such as the exhibition. The 3Rs Promotion Poster Contest in which the Prize of the Minister of the Environment was given in the ceremony of the convention received about 10,000 posters created by elementary and junior high school students from all over Japan. That is, it also contributes to the promotion of environment education activities. During the 3Rs promotion month in October, the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry jointly conducted “Environment-Friendly Shopping Campaign” to call for implementation of 3Rs activities such as purchasing of environment-friendly products and bringing of own shopping bags with the help of 47 prefectures, distributors and retailers. In addition, excellent efforts promoting the establishment of a sound material-cycle society and food recycling have been nominated for the commendation by the Minister of the Environment, survey researches on changes in Japan’s 3Rs system, technologies and experiences have been conducted and information on 3Rs has been provided nationwide through the Web site, mailing news, etc.

## $ ^{*} $ 2 The Reduction, Reuse and Recycling Promotion Council

Aimed at the promotion of recycling in cooperation between the administration, consumers and industries, “Recycling Promotion Council” was established in September 1991. Based on the fact that in order to deal with resource and waste problems in the future, it is necessary to establish a sound material-cycle society through 3Rs (Reduction, Reuse and Recycling), not only recycling, the name was changed to “Reduction, Reuse and Recycling Promotion Council” in June 2002 and it has enlightened and spread 3Rs movement.

### 1. The “Citizen-made Environment-Friendly Town Genki Grand Prix”

The Specified Nonprofit Activities Corporation, known as the Genki Net for Creating a Sustainable Society founded a “Citizen-made Environment-Friendly Town Genki Grand Prix” in fiscal 2001 and began to give the award to those entities promoting leading-edge activities.

## (1) Grand Prix of fiscal 2009

Subject name: “A Project Creating New Values on Secondhand Clothes to Establish a Sound Material-cycle Society”

Group name: A nonprofit organization called WE 21 Japan (Kanagawa Prefecture)

Aimed at making independence support grant for women mainly in Asia, WE 21 Japan has operated “WE shop” for 10 years to sell clothes and miscellaneous goods contributed from all over the country utilizing local resources (people, things, money and knowledge). The number of shops in the prefecture has expanded to 53. About more than 500 tons of clothes are contributed annually. In order to spread “mottainai” concept and establish an intra-regional sound material-cycle society, its activities have developed into the creation of new values by remaking products or in collaboration with young artists.