Meiden Numazu Works bans plastic bottles in vending machines to prevent marine pollution
Meidensha Corporation (Meiden) will stop selling plastic bottled drinks from vending machines installed at its Numazu Works premises in Shizuoka Prefecture on December 1, 2021, to prevent plastic waste from accumulating in the world’s oceans and seas.
With marine plastic pollution posing threats to ecosystems and living environments, as well as the fishery and tourism industries, the Meiden Group is proactively reducing the amounts of plastic products it uses and plastic waste it generates. In the latest move, Meiden will swap plastic bottled beverages for canned drinks in 60 vending machines at Numazu Works, effectively reducing the machines’ waste output from 500,000 bottles per year to zero. The Group also plans to implement measures to reduce plastic waste and raise employee awareness about recycling in its other business and production hubs.
A poster notifying that plastic bottled drinks will no longer be sold and promoting the importance of stopping marine plastic pollution
A conventional vending machine, left, and a new one selling only canned beverages, right.
Plastics-related goals under the Medium-term Management Plan 2024
Field | Goal | Items being targeted |
Products/packaging materials | Life cycle design of products and packaging materials by considering 3R (reduce, reuse, recycle) | [Products] |
Waste generated from works | Promoting 3R of plastic waste generated by production activities | ・Making the reprocessing of plastic waste more sophisticated |
Other | Implementation of measures to address marine plastic pollution so that biodiversity can be maintained | ・Engaged in activities to make people become more aware of marine plastic pollution and conducting related activities for society’s benefit |
Examples of eco-friendly measures by the Meiden Group
Measures | Descriptions |
Providing education on the environment | Providing e-learning education on the environment under the theme of “the marine plastic waste problem and measures taken by the Meiden Group” in fiscal 2020 to raise employee awareness |
Eliminating the use of plastic bags at shops located inside company buildings | Eliminating the use of plastic bags at shops inside Numazu and Ohta Works premises from July 2020. As a substitute, they now sell eco-bags for people who need them. |
Poster notifying the end of using plastic bags and informing about plastic pollution.
Eco-bag on saleThe Meiden Group will consider more advanced measures to recycle resources through cooperation with stakeholders, including co-creation partners, to contribute to creating a circular society in the future.
Press contacts:
Corporate Communications & PR Promotion Division
e-mail: kouhou@mb.meidensha.co.jp