The "1st NIKKEI Blue Ocean Awards," which honors companies, organizations, and individuals actively working toward the conservation of the marine environment and the proper use of fishery resources, awarded the grand prize to the Alliance for the Blue, which includes the Toyooka Kaban Randoseru Backpack UMI.
The collaborative efforts of multiple companies to develop and sell various products using discarded fishing nets were highly praised.
What is Alliance for the Blue?
The global issue of marine plastic waste amounts to approximately 8 million tons annually worldwide, with 20,000 to 60,000 tons generated within Japan alone.
To urgently address this significant problem, the Nippon Foundation has established the corporate collaboration platform "Alliance for the Blue," aiming to build an all-Japan model for marine debris countermeasures through a united effort of industry, government, academia, and citizens.
Toyooka Kaban, born in Toyooka City, "a town living with the blessings of the sea," also participates in the project to reuse discarded fishing nets.
*A portion of the sales from the Randoseru Backpack UMI will be donated to the general incorporated association Alliance for the Blue.