Mineral water is usually sold in disposable PET bottles, which are made from petroleum oil. More than 17 million barrels of crude oil are used in order to produce the 29 billion PET drinking water bottles required for annual consumption in the U.S. In addition, water sources are drying up due to the mineral water being pumped out of the ground, while the transportation of mineral water requires a considerable amount of energy because of its weight and volume. This "mineral water mileage," as opposed to "food mileage," is not easy to ignore.

As the global market for bottled drinking water has now grown into a 55 billion dollar business, concerns over its ecological burden are on the increase. Many locales are seeing moves to boycott bottled water and drink tap water in its place. Some ecologically-conscious restaurants overseas have stopped serving mineral water and cities in the U.S. and Europe are eliminating budgets for bottled water and encouraging the broader use of tap water.

In France, the birthplace of bottled water, there was a campaign to promote the use of tap water in 2005 and the mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoë, who is famous for conducting various reforms, is calling for the use of tap water at public events. In the U.K., both the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Treasury have stopped serving bottled water.

Regrettably there are no such official moves in Japan as of yet. According to a survey conducted on "Water and the Consciousness of People in Modern Society" by Japan Aqua Clara Inc., however, 48.1% of people feel guilty about using PET bottles as water containers. Still, of the 30.3% of people who recently stopped purchasing mineral water, 46.4% cited high prices as the reason. Japanese consumers have complex feelings about purchasing bottled water. 

Although the quality of tap water in Tokyo is said to have improved, many people feel strongly about drinking tap water directly out of the tap. Water purifying systems can be installed at home, but what about when one is outside the home or at the office? Do we have to rely on water in PET bottles? That is where portable water purifying pot "OFFICE ROKA" comes in. It enables you to drink tasty water easily, safely and economically and is currently attracting much attention. It has a fashionable design that makes it look like an ordinary coffee tumbler, but the cartridge-type water purifying filter installed in the center of the pot removes residual chlorine, soluble lead and trihalomethanes in just four minutes. You can drink purified water anywhere there is tap water.

According to the manufacturer and distributer of the pot, Kai Corporation, sales have increased tenfold mainly among women working in offices since the product was introduced into the market in the spring of 2007. Recently, an increasing number of people are taking OFFICE ROKA with them when out for a drive, at the gym or for any outing. The filter will last for two months when used for a liter of water a day, which costs the equivalent of approximately 12 yen a liter, making it not only environmentally-friendly but also easy on your wallet. Above all, its stylish design and slim body are likely the secrets of its popularity among office workers and women who want to be ECO-fashionable. You can also use it as an ordinary coffee tumbler when the inner case is removed, eliminating the need for a second tumbler.

Drinking water instead of soft drinks or canned coffee is essential to staying healthy, but is it still considered a healthy habit if doing so significantly damages the environment? Staying healthy using a method that is environmentally-friendly, easy on the wallet and even fashionable, like OFFICE ROKA, might be a good idea.

KONAKA, a major Japanese men's clothing store in Japan, operates a service to collect unwanted suits for free. It also started collecting men's dress shirts and women's blouses in July.

So far, more than one million unwanted suits have been collected and recycled to make felt, which is processed into insulting and acoustic absorbent materials for automobiles.The new shirt collection service actively promotes the recycling of cotton, which is widely used in a variety of clothing. In fact, these collection services are not only environmentally friendly. People who donate a suit receive a discount voucher worth 15,750 yen. Recycle a dress shirt or a blouse and receive a voucher worth 500 yen. This innovative service not only lessens the load on the environment, but it even offers an incentive! 

KONAKA is not alone in offering this service. Competitors AOYAMA TRADING and AOKI also collect shirts, which are recycled into heat insulating materials, gardening sheets to promote plant growth and prevent weeds and green materials such as oil absorbers. It also comes as a pleasant surprise that each company will accept suits and dress shirts bought from elsewhere. 

There is also a move to promote recycling that is more organic and makes a more direct contribution to society, rather than simply using recycled materials to manufacture new products. Ms. Hiromi Morimoto, an International Image Consultant at HeroMe, is calling for neckties, the quintessential suit accessory, to be donated and is advocating new social contribution and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) models.The primary purpose of the project is to help the homeless to achieve independence and find employment. The project is being implemented together with BIG ISSUE JAPAN, which supports the independence of the homeless. The concept of reusing unwanted ties instead of throwing them away is the essence of "eco."

In this project, donated neckties are sold at low prices at charity seminars on "The Strategic Approach to Choosing a Tie," which are conducted by Ms. Morimoto herself. The proceeds from the seminars are donated to BIG ISSUE JAPAN and they are used to help support the independence of the homeless. Although the project was only launched in mid-October, a number of neckties have been collected from companies and individuals who have heard about the project and it is gradually expanding its scope of activities. It has even held charity seminars at student employment fairs, selling neckties at the venue.

Although the act of raising donations is not common in Japan, unwanted suits are being utilized in various ways overseas, where the concept of charity and donating is pervasive.For example, major suit manufacturer MEN'S WEARHOUSE is calling for donations of unwanted suits, offering them to the unemployed who are looking to find work."Dress for Success" is another organization, one which helps socially disadvantaged women find jobs. They call for donations of women's suits as part of their activities and offer support to women in making a new start by providing them with a suit.  

Some suits start their "second life" in a new "eco" style after retiring along with their former owners. Other suits and ties end up starting new careers with new owners. Although in completely different forms, they both show us the possibility of making efficient use of unwanted goods, as well as the concept of "eco" and the spirit of charity, where people support each other and are connected to one other by their roots.

The word ECO has been brought up in various media recently, especially with the threat of climate change due to global warming. Thanks to this, more people are aware of environmental issue when shopping.

There are several steps involved in the Eco process, one of the main ones being Food Miles.  It represents the distance which eating goods travel between the production location and the consumer's plate. Food Miles has been a burden on the environment since the longer goods travel, the bigger the impact on the environment.

In Japan, self sufficiency in food decreased to 39% in 2006, the lowest level amongst developed countries. When self sufficiency in food gets lower, solution is to import goods to palliate the shortage. This in turn increases food miles along with　Co2　emissions.
The term Food Miles is not very known in Japan yet, but some companies such as AEON and Seven & i Holdings have taken Food Miles into account and will start to act from 2009.

One of the biggest British supermarket chains, Tesco, has already started putting food miles indicators on some products packaging. They tell you how many grams of carbon or equivalent greenhouse gases were emitted as a result of growing, manufacturing, transporting and storing a specific product.

Other products also indicate the carbon footprint in comparison to other similar products so that consumers can understand which products are the most eco-friendly. Furthermore, some labels also give consumers ideas on how to reduce a product's footprint when you using it.

In this wealthy world, even out-of-season-foods can be easily purchased in stores all year round. This is because they have been imported and sold to meet the customer s' expectations. But this is not necessary; we should not demand to have something which is not readily available locally, in order to reduce Co2emissions and improve climate change.

There is a café in Yokohama called 80*80(hachimaru hachimaru), where the concept is to only use 80% foods available within the 80km range of café to provide an environmentally friendly meal.
Obviously being aware of Food Miles, this café is very eco friendly and makes people realise that there are plenty of good products available close to them instead importing from other countries.

Besides the corporate commitment, there actually many things we can do in our day-to-day life to reduce Food miles. It is one of the good examples to check the place of origin and try to buy some domestic products when you go to grocery shopping. Also you may want to shop at Saturday morning market at Roppongi Hills East Court where freshly picked vegetables, fruits and flowers brought from Ibaraki prefecture are available at reasonable prices. Another good idea is that if you have some space at your balcony or garden, you could even start growing your own vegetables or fruits.

As a start, even these little actions will help solve our environmental problems.

First, however, what is Fairtrade really? It guarantees better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. The reality of production in these countries has not been seen; just as the foamy top of a café latte covers the true drink underneath, we only see the benefits of the farmers' struggles rather than the issues surrounding our luxuries that lay just out of sight.Coffee farmers, for example, receive compensation that does not cover production costs, and banana farmers are forced to expose themselves to harmful pesticide yet do not even receive enough money in return to support their families. Fairtrade, on the contrary, makes sure they obtain a fair and stable price for the product, advance payments, long-term trading relations, and that they use environmentally sustainable farming methods. The ultimate goal is the producer's independence, and Fairtrade provides active support in gaining the necessary knowledge and skills for both management and productions.

In Japan, our awareness of Fairtrade is still very low even after 20 years since it was first launched in the country. However, in Europe a wide range of Fairtrade products are available at almost any supermarket and the government itself promotes the use of Fairtrade products: at institutions such as the House of Commons, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department for International Development and the Treasury, and the Department of Health in UK all the coffee served has been switched to Fairtrade coffee.

Companies in Europe are not exceptions either: there are many which have switched to Fairtrade certified coffee, Microsoft UK, Merrill Lynch UK, Volkswagen, and IBM Germany, to name a few. Since participation in Fairtrade helps protect human rights and the environment, some corporations have actually adopted Fairtrade as one of the means of their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibilities) activities as well as purchasing Fairtrade products, which has been known to the morale at the workplace and foster a better work environment.

Although Japanese companies are still not very much familiar with Fairtrade, bringing the idea into your workplace is not difficult. Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd., known for its "MUJI" brand, has sold a variety of Fairtrade coffees and teas which are even available in Pet bottles. ASKUL Corporation, one of the major office supply companies, has also offered Fairtrade coffee in their latest catalogue as well as organic certified and Rainforest Alliance certified brands. As awareness of Fairtrade issues spreads across the globe, some corporations have taken initiative; Dai Nippon Printing Co.Ltd., for example, serves Fairtrade coffee to their visitors and workers. NTT Communications has also provided Fairtrade coffee at their cafeteria and put posters about Fairtrade to raise awareness of their workers.

It may be just a cup of coffee, but what if "just a cup of coffee" could make a difference? Coffee might be able to bring you a smile, and by choosing Fairtrade, you can bring a smile to the world, too.

With its stylish design, the KAMIPEN, a pen made from recycled paper, has given us a new way to be fashionably eco-committed. Originally made in Germany, the KAMIPEN is a product made of 95% Japanese domestic recycled paper. The eco-mark certified pen is available with a cap or in a retractable style and mechanical pencil style. The glue used for the KAMIPEN is chemical-free and natural--it is made of casein, one of the components of milk. According to Japan Plus Corporation, the demand for this year has increased about one and a half times compared to last year because of the recent eco-promoting trend and the rise in consciousness for environment.

The eco calendar frame, made of used paper or used coffee grinds, can also be an excellent decoration to your desk at work. The frame is made of discarded materials and polypropylene, which enables the three dimensional design and sophisticated appearance, and the used coffee ground frame even has the scent of coffee. Asahi International Corporation, which designs and produces original office novelties, has also introduced a mouse pad made of banana peels discarded in the Philippines which creates employment opportunities for the country. The needs and inquiry for the products have doubled for this year, and the company says they are planning to focus on producing more of eco-friendly novelties.

                                                                                                  These office accessories are available only by request at the moment, however the KAMIPEN is  now used as promotional tools by banks, hotels, and at eco-promoting events or artists' concerts in addition to various enterprises, and many mega companies such as Toyota, Sekisui House, Mos Burger, and UCC have chosen the eco calendar frame for their novelty goods. For both of these products, clients can insert their own logo or corporate name.

Changing your office practices to be more ecological may sound a little hard, but with the handy ecological office novelties it is not a hard nut to crack. If your office is not yet eco friendly, this is the way to head for the first step.