When looking for something interesting, I found an astonishing article about the fast food industry in France. According to the article, France, ranked 4th in the Global sustainability index, adopted its comprehensive Anti-waste Law in 2020 (Snowdrop, 2022). This law mainly aims to reduce waste from the initial design stages and create a more recycling-oriented society. Specifically, it prohibits using disposable containers, plates, cups, and tableware from customer dining in restaurants starting in 2023 and seeks to phase out single-use plastic packaging by 2040(Elen Macarthur Foundation, n.d.).

This law has dramatically affected the fast-food industry because roughly 30,000 fast-food outlets in France serve 6bn meals annually, generating an estimated 180,000 tonnes of waste. Moreover, people eating in creating 55% of waste is another significant issue supporting this law’s dramatic effect(Chrisafis, 2022).

While the government expects to have a significant waste reduction by implementing this law, behind the scenes, fast-food industry companies were struggling to make this happen. According to McDonald’s manager Maria Varela in the Paris suburb of Levallois-Perret, she said, “Everything that was in cardboard is now in reusable plastic. We had to rethink Everything in the kitchen, separate take-out from on-site orders, create new storage space”. (Yadav, n.d.)

But after all that hard work, McDonald’s and other fast food restaurants are now complying with this law. Currently, this initiative is only being implemented in France, but I would love to see it in Japan in the near future, where sustainability initiatives are falling behind compared to the world.

References

Introduction

While reading other students’ posts, I saw a few people talking about greenwashing by H&M.  While their statement makes sense, I also wondered why H&M can not do better even though they are one of the first industrial giants to start a recycling program. Therefore in this post, I will discuss what H&M is doing now and what H&M can do to create more sustainable clothing.

Current analysis

Currently, H&M collected In 2022 around 1.4 kilotonnes of textile waste from their garment production factories. Moreover, they have collected more than 155,000 tonnes of textiles through the recycling program. Although despite their work, only 24% of H&M product was from recycled material. There are many reasons, such as mass production that significantly overwhelms the amount of recycled clothing and the lack of facilities to recycle cotton and polyester combined clothing. 

Recommendation

To solve this problem, some experts and industrial competitors claim to reduce production in the first place. Although their strategy makes sense, it does not align with the fast-fashion industries’ stream. Therefore, while reducing the amount of production is essential, I believe H&M should start using more sustainable materials for their clothing, such as Tencel Fibers. Tencel fiber is a 100% natural material derived from renewable raw wood. It has a significantly smaller environmental impact, requiring 10 to 20 times less water and no pesticides. Moreover, the solvents and water used to make Tencel fiber is reused more than 99% of the time through a closed-loop system. Furthermore, since the quality of clothing made from Tencel fiber is very similar to clothing made with cotton, it would not damage H&M brand quality.  

Although Tencel fiber brings significant advantages, there are some disadvantages for H&M. The disadvantages are the price and convenience. Clothing made from Tencel fibers is more expensive, and customers must be careful when washing.  To be more specific, customers need to use Natural detergent instead of chemical detergent.

I understand customers would not be likely to give up the convenience. Still, considering the environmental impact H&M is creating today, I believe H&M should start using more Tecel Fibers for their clothing.

. https://hmgroup.com/sustainability/circularity-and-climate/recycling/

 https://hmgroup.com/sustainability/circularity-and-climate/materials/

 https://www.houseofu.com/en/blog/what-is-tencel-qualities-of-tencel-fabric/

https://www.tencel.com/b2b/technologies/eco-clean-technology#:~:text=TENCEL%E2%84%A2%20Lyocell%20fibers%20have%20gained%20the%20reputation%20for,at%20a%20recovery%20rate%20of%20more%20than%2099%25.

https://www.tencel.com/sustainability

https://blog.tentree.com/what-is-tencel-heres-why-we-use-this-sustainable-new-fabric/#:~:text=TENCEL%20fabric%20is%20an%20extremely%20eco-friendly%20Lyocell%20produced

Quantum Computing

While watching a documentary about recent technology, I found that quantum computing can be one of the solutions to climate change. It sounded interesting, so I went into more depth.

First, to people unfamiliar with quantum computing, quantum computing is a revolutionary technology that harnesses the principles of quantum mechanics to perform complex computations. According to an article written by McKinsey, even though the technology is in its early stage, it is estimated that the first generation of fault-tolerant quantum computing will arrive in the second half of this decade. Unlike classical computing, quantum computing uses quantum bits (qubits) that can exist in multiple states simultaneously. This capability enables quantum computers to perform calculations faster and more efficiently than classical computers.

Moreover, considering the massive potential of this technology, investment has been increasing rapidly for the past five years. As seen from the graph below, the amount of investment went up to 700 million in 2020 and keeps growing today.

Impact of Quantum computing on the environment

While there are significant numbers of areas this technology could work with, one example could be using quantum computing to design new catalysts. According to International Energy Authority,  it is said that with these new catalysts, Carbon capture, usage, and storage (CCUS) will make up 50% of heavy industry emissions reductions by 2050. What is more, quantum computing is also expected to reduce the cost of creating each carbon-capturing machine. This is because, using this disruptive technology, it is believed that we could use metals and precious materials more cheaply by producing metals, plastics, and concrete from carbon directly out of the air.

It would be fascinating if this technology becomes standard in our future. Still, considering encryption danger, the need for investment, and other ethical problems, it might not be practical as we predict. Only time will tell if we can use quantum computers in the near future.

How quantum computing can help tackle climate change – Riverlane

quantum-computing-for-innovative-climate-change-solutions | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

Quantum computing just might save the planet | McKinsey

The current state of quantum computing: Between hype and revolution | McKinsey & Company

Last week in class, we touched on how convenience stores in Japan impact consumers’ daily lives. In fact, it is true that in those convenience stores, consumers can get access to many things, such as printers, high-quality deserts, ATMs, original branded groceries, and even one-day car insurance. However, on the other hand, Japanese convenience stores are facing severe food-loss problems.

According to LAWSON, the giant in the convenience store industry, they are wasting about 5.2kg of food every day. The number itself might not seem like a lot.; although did you know that there are more than 56000 stores in Japan? Therefore, convenience stores create about six hundred tons of food loss every year.

It is pretty obvious that this situation is not sustainable, and to avoid getting into the same trouble, corporations who are interested in opening new convenience stores need to learn from two massive failures in Japanese convenience stores.

（image from https://acceliv.com/2021/06/convenience-store-next-to-the-convenience-store）

The first failure is the failure to build the right amount of stores. To people who have never lived in Japan, 56000 stores might not seem too much for a country with more than 120 million people. However, the reality is different. Most convenience stores are closely placed in major cities in Japan and not much in the countryside. According to the statistics by GraphtoChart, there are about 2 times more convenience stores in Tokyo than in Kanagwa, even though the population of both cities does not have a massive difference. Thus it is often the case that customers see convenience stores every 50m, especially in Tokyo, which does not make sense from a sustainability perspective.

The second failure is their policy. Most giant in this industry upholds the policy of providing high-quality food to customers because that is what the giants are seen from consumers worldwide. This policy is fantastic for customers who love eating and enjoying their meals but not for the environment. Due to this policy, stores try to provide the freshest meal they can. This leads to stores throwing away their meals quickly after the food has passed the expiration date and exchanging it with new ones. Some companies are working to solve this problem by opening a cafeteria for local children and using AI to calculate the precise amount of food to make. Still, it not creating a decent impact so far.

These are the failures that convenience stores in Japan have fallen. It might be too late, but I hope they will not make the same mistake when expanding overseas or creating a new strategy to solve one of the two problems.

Japan: number of convenience stores 2021 | Statista

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/backstories/479/#:~:text=The%20first%20is%20Japan%27s%20labor%20shortage%20and%20the,away%2C%20the%20owners%20shoulder%20most%20of%20the%20losses.

https://graphtochart.com/japan/tokyo-convenience-stores.php

https://naganotabi.com/vs47_conveniencestore

Shelf Lives and the Labors of Loss. Food, Livelihoods, and Japan’s Convenience Stores (ebrary.net)

The 3 Major Convenience Store Chains In Japan | MATCHA – JAPAN TRAVEL WEB MAGAZINE (matcha-jp.com)

https://www.lawson.co.jp/company/activity/environment/preservation/waste/

https://acceliv.com/2021/06/convenience-store-next-to-the-convenience-store

When I was looking for fishing rental gear for recreational fishing in Vancouver, I found that I needed a fishing license to fish.  This fact really surprised me because, in Japan, fishing is barrier-free to any generation and gender without any prerequisites.

The fact made me wonder about the impact of implementing this system.  To summarize, although this system is very friendly to the environment and sustainable,  I feel this system is strict and losing some opportunities. The opportunities I am talking about are the chance to stimulate the economy and boost the fishing industry.

(image from    https://hdmooers.com/category/blog/)

According to a professor named Terashima at Kyoto University, Tango Bay, a famous bay for recreational fishing in Japan, can create a total annual consumer surplus of approximately JPY 11.7 billion, about $85 million. I understand it will not be the same in Canada since the popularity and culture differ; however, I believe we can make more money in this industry.

Moreover, I believe the rise of interest in fishing could also save some who fishers work as professionals since there are good possibilities that new people joining the industry. It may not be a big problem now in Canada, but in an aging society with a low birth rate, it is often the case that people avoid those professions that belong to the primary industry. Additionally, it will be an excellent chance to let people know how the fishers are struggling and how the government is trying to solve it.

At last, I understand this would be a controversial subject. We have problems such as overfishing and tons of plastic waste thrown away by recreational anglers, which is deeply related to my idea. Therefore, I would appreciate hearing some thoughts and ideas.

References

https://hdmooers.com/category/blog/

Terashima, Y., Yamashita, Y. & Asano, K. An economic evaluation of recreational fishing in Tango Bay, Japan. Fish Sci 86, 925–937 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-020-01453-

Today after the client presentation, one student asked whether the company is checking their channel’s ethical working environment, especially during the massive change in demand. I was impressed by this question and wondered if Starbucks indicated this problem for their crucial project, ” Greener Stores.”

The “Greener store” is a new framework created with Starbucks and other collaborating companies aiming to reduce their massive environmental impact. As you might not have expected, Starbucks is not doing well with its sustainability strategy. According to WWF and Quantis, Starbucks was responsible for 16 million tons of green gas,  1 billion cubic meters of water, and  868 metric kilotons of waste in 2018. Moreover, Starbucks failed to meet its promise to make 100% of its cups reusable or recyclable by 2015.

To address this problem, Starbucks is implementing its new framework, “Greener Store.” This framework works on the following seven attributes listed below the graph. By building and retrofitting this framework in 10,000 Greener Stores globally by 2025, they anticipate reducing carbon emissions, water usage, and landfill waste by 50%.  They also predict that they can reduce $50 million in utility fees in the next 10 years. Moreover, Starbucks is making this framework open-source since they understand the opportunity to spread their framework and cost efficiency in the long run.

While the first impression seemed fantastic, there was no information about their policies for channel members. Furthermore, they did not even post the investment amount or the percentage of stores they will incorporate into the framework. They are emphasizing the number of the greener store, which is 10000 stores. Although it is only one-fourth to one-fifth when looking at the fraction. I understand that it is difficult to put all information. However, considering Starbuck’s global influence, I feel this framework should be supported with more evidence for consumers to easily imagine the scale. Only time will tell whether this framework will be greenwashing in the future or not.

Starbucks Generates An Astronomical Amount Of Waste–Can It Stop? (fastcompany.com)

Number of Starbucks stores worldwide 2022 | Statista

Starbucks plans to open about 22,000 stores in the next ten years | CNN Business

Starbucks Greener Stores accelerate global movement towards a more sustainable future

How has Starbucks been environmentally friendly? – Eco-friendly lifestyle (asocon.org)

Starbucks Announces Global Greener Stores Commitment

Starbucks says, hold the milk to reduce carbon footprint | The Gazette

Starbucks targets 45,000 stores globally by the end of 2025 – World Coffee Portal

Do you like fried chicken? Would you eat French fries when you go to fast food restaurant? I believe most of us do. However, did you know that those oils used to cook your favorite meals are made by cutting down tons of trees? According to a study by European Commission,” Two of the top three drivers of global deforestation are vegetable oil crops.” (Nobbs, 2021) Moreover, even though there are some sustainable substitutes for vegetable oils, they are not generally used since they are expensive.

If we cannot reduce the use of unsustainable vegetable oil, we need to utilize it as much as possible. A company in Japan called Mitsui Chemical is doing an excellent job in this content. They created a new plastic made out of used cooking oil. Compared to conventional plastic made from fossil fuels, this plastic is made from biomass naphtha. According to the company, by the use of biomass naphtha, they say that they can incredibly reduce the emission of green gas from production stages to disposal. In addition, this new plastic has the same quality and looks as the plastic we use today; therefore, it could be implemented in various kinds of plastic products.

Although, there are still some drawbacks. One of them is the cost. As this plastic can only be produced using the latest technology, it would be more costly and inefficient than traditional plastic. Only time will determine whether this plastic will be used in general.

https://jp.mitsuichemicals.com/en/release/2021/2021_0520.htm

https://www.statista.com/statistics/263978/global-vegetable-oil-production-since-2000-2001/

https://www.jeffnobbs.com/posts/the-environmental-impact-of-vegetable-oils

https://ec.europa.eu/environment/forests/pdf/1.%20Report%20analysis%20of%20impact.pdf

Vegetable Oil in Plastic Bottle Closeup Stock Photo – Image of dieting, plastic: 32335446 (dreamstime.com)

Did you know that many children are starving not because they are poor but because their parents come back late from work? Did you know that according to Statistics Canada, about 1.15 million children, which means one in six children, are experiencing food poverty, and the number is still increasing? Despite these facts, according to the UN report, we waste seventeen percent of food we produce yearly, which equals about 931 million tonnes.

To change the situation, various strategies have been introduced for decades. Although, today I would like to introduce this new movement in Japan called “Children Cafeteria.” This cafeteria offers free or inexpensive food not only to children suffering from food poverty but also to any children and parents who are hungry. It is supported by public financial aid and held anywhere they can, from the local cafeteria to even at some convenience stores. Furthermore, as these cafeterias are managed by local volunteers and from local food donations, it creates a place for communication and comfort in the local community. It also contributes to consuming wrong-shaped food from being wasted. I believe this easy- accesses cafeteria is very helpful to any family since it conceals their financial poverty and helps them create new relationships on which they can rely.

Moreover, referring to my experience of four years living outside of Japan,  I believe this cafeteria is becoming a significant movement in Japan compared to other counties. This is because Japan is a relatively safe country with a small land area for its vast population, making it easy to create close communities. Therefore, I predict it will be challenging to do the exact same thing in Vancouver. What do you think about my opinion, and to international students reading this, do you think you can introduce this cafeteria in your home country?

I am looking forward to your opinions.

References

https://canadianfeedthechildren.ca/the-feed/why-food-insecurity/

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/03/global-food-waste-solutions/#:~:text=1%20Around%20931%20million%20tonnes%20of%20food%20goes,could%20have%20social%2C%20economic%20and%20environmental%20benefits.%20%E3%81%9D%E3%81%AE%E4%BB%96%E3%81%AE%E3%82%A2%E3%82%A4%E3%83%86%E3%83%A0

https://www.nhk.or.jp/dwc/food/articles/173.html                <- more information about Children Cafeteria

https://www.unep.org/resources/report/unep-food-waste-index-report-2021