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Bento lunch box series is first in Japan to be made from environment-friendly rice resin

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By grape Japan

Afternoon Tea Living, a company operated by Sazaby League Inc, will release bento lunch boxes, tote bags, and other lifestyle items made of eco-friendly materials on July 28, as part of its efforts to raise awareness of endangered animals in our daily lives and to promote sustainable development.

Animal Lunch Box series made with Rice Resin®

This is the first time in Japan that lunch box products are available containing Rice Resin®, a domestic biomass plastic derived from rice. The five animals used in the art, including orangutans and pandas, are newly drawn by illustrator chitose chitose. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to "more trees," a forest conservation organization that works to protect the forests where orangutans live.

Lunch box (leopard): 2,860 yen

Lunch box (panda / available only at official stores): 2,860 yen

Dessert case (orangutan): 1,650 yen

Lunch box (owl): 3,080 en

Lunch box (mixed group of animals): 2,860 yen

Lunch box (zebra): 2,640 yen

About Rice Resin®

Rice Resin is a material that uses new technology to upcycle rice into biomass plastic pellets like these:

riceresin_3.jpg

The rice is either inedible old rice, rice shreds generated in the process of making rice-based snacks, and other rice that would otherwise be disposed of as animal feed. Rice Resin is unique to Japan and is a high-quality material almost equivalent to petroleum-based plastics. In addition, since it's made from plants originally found on the earth, it's a carbon-neutral product.

Tote bags and other items made with organic cotton

riceresin_5.jpg

Furoshiki wrapping cloth: 2,530 yen

Drawstring bag set: 2,200 yen

Tote bag: 1,980 yen

Eco-bags made with recycled polyester

riceresin_6.jpg

Eco-bags: 1,760 yen each (Panda is available only at official stores).

Price include tax

more trees

The "more trees" GIA is a forest conservation organization headed by musician Ryuichi Sakamoto. It's engaged in a variety of initiatives under the theme of "connecting cities and forests." For example, "more trees" works with local communities to conserve forests, plans and develops products using domestic timber, and conveys information on forests and their importance to the public through events.

chitose chitose

Born in Nara Prefecture and currently living in Osaka, illustrator chitose chitose's work was selected for the 2019 Bologna International Picture Book Original Drawing Exhibition.

These products will be available at Afteroon Tea living retail shops throughout Japan as well as their online store from July 28.

Read more stories from grape Japan.

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-- Japan’s Jumbo Shumai Dumpling cake is filled with even more delicious dumplings

© grape Japan

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

1 Comment
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Rice resin is ‘unique’ to Japan.

That made me laugh!

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