Eco Action Points Introduced to the MOTTAINAI Campaign

June 17, 2010

ITOCHU Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Masahiro Okafuji; “ITOCHU”) is announcing the introduction of the Eco Action Point program, which is being promoted by the Ministry of the Environment and operated by JCB Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Tamio Takakura; “JCB”), with the aim of expanding the MOTTAINAI Campaign (*1) that ITOCHU has been pursuing as an environmental brand.

The Eco Action Point program allows users to accumulate points whenever they purchase products and services that consider global warming or take part in energy conservation activities, and exchange their accumulated points for various other products and services. JCB is operating the Eco Action Point platform on behalf of the Ministry of the Environment. As many as 45 businesses and organizations are already participating, and the number is growing, encompassing banks, insurance companies, home appliance discount shops, electric utilities, railways, travel agencies, hotels, reused products, publishing, broadcasting, restaurants, events, local governments, and many others.

ITOCHU supports the aims of the Eco Action Point program, and is introducing it in its MOTTAINAI Campaign. The MOTTAINAI Campaign involves the development of environmentally considerate products that conform to its concept. A portion of all sales is donated to the Green Belt Movement, the tree planting activities endorsed by Dr. Wangari Maathai (*2). Starting on June 20, 2010, Eco Action Points will be awarded in accordance with the quantity of products purchased at MOTTINAI SHOP (*3). As a trial, Eco Action Points will be awarded to people who set up stalls at the MOTTAINAI Flea Market (*4) to be held on June 20, 2010 at Yokohama Arena, to study the feasibility of introducing Eco Action Points at the MOTTAINAI Flea Markets held every weekend in the suburbs of Tokyo.

The MOTTAINAI Campaign has been working towards achieving a sustainable recycling society, and ITOCHU will study the feasibility of introducing Eco Action Points on an even broader scale, in cooperation with JCB, as part of its activities to fight global warming.

JCB and the Ministry of the Environment believe that the Eco Action Point program will take root in people’s daily lives through casual, familiar activities that aim to conserve the environment. We will continue working together to expand the number of members and participating businesses and organizations.

ITOCHU is committed to spreading the MOTTAINAI spirit through the MOTTAINAI Campaign.

  • *1 The MOTTAINAI Campaign
  • The MOTTAINAI Campaign was started by Prof. Maathai, Kenyan woman who was the first person to win the Nobel Peace Prize for work in the environmental field. On her visit to Japan in 2005, she was impressed by this Japanese word which expresses not only the 3Rs of environmental activities (reduce, reuse, and recycle) but also the additional R of respect for the earth's irreplaceable resources, and embarked on efforts to spread usage of "MOTTAINAI" as a worldwide watchword for environmental preservation. With Prof. Maathai serving as its honorary chairperson, the campaign is being promoted mainly by ITOCHU as a global activity aimed at the diffusion of environment-friendly lifestyles and creation of sustainable, recycling-oriented communities. （the official MOTTAINAI website：http://mottainai.info/[Open in a new window]）

  • *2 Wangari Maathai
  • Born in 1940; Ph.D. in Biology; former Vice Minister of Environment and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kenya; founder of MOTTAINAI Campaign; United Nations Messenger of Peace; Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement (a non-political organization) with other volunteer members in 1977 and began tree-planting activities. Instead of a mere natural conservation campaign, Maathai’s group has sought, through tree-planting, to raise awareness among poverty-stricken people to participate in the world and democratize Kenyan society; efforts that include empowerment of women. The number of saplings planted has reached 40 million, and Maathai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004; a first for environmental contributions and as an African woman. These days, Maathai is seeking to spread mottainai as a worldwide term for protecting the global environment.

  • *3 MOTTAINAI SHOP

  • ・MOTTAINAI SHOP & STATION
  • Address ：Palaceside Bldg. 1F, 1-1-1 Hitotsubashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
  • Access ：One minute walk from Takebashi Station (Exit: 1b) on Tokyo Metro Tozai Line
  • Business Day ：Monday to Friday (Closed on Saturday, Sunday, National Holidays and year-end & New Year holidays)
  • Business Hour ：11:00 am to 6:00 pm

  • ・MOTTAINAI Web Shop 　http://mottainai-shop.jp/[Open in a new window]

  • ・MOTTAINAI Shop at Shinjuku Odakyu Department Store
  • Address: Special Event Hall, Sundries Alley, 2nd floor, Min Building, 1-1-3 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
  • Access: One-minute walk from west exit of Shinjuku Station on JR and Odakyu lines
  • Store hours: 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (8 p.m. on Sundays and Holidays)

  • *4 MOTTAINAI Flea Market
  • This is a flea market held every weekend in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, and other areas near Tokyo. A resources collection booth called MOTTAINAI Station is set up at each marketplace, and used clothes, books, and other resources are collected and recycled. In addition, seven yen (equivalent to the price of one tree sapling in the Green Belt Movement) from each stall set-up fee collected at the Flea Market is donated to the planting activities of the Green Belt Movement.