FamilyMart stores in Japan collect used clothing, goods to reduce waste
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Boxes have been installed at about 30 FamilyMart stores in Tokyo to collect used clothing and household goods for re-use.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: UNSPLASH
TOKYO – Select FamilyMart convenience stores in Tokyo have installed boxes to collect used clothing and household goods for re-use, joining similar initiatives taken by retailers, as a step to reduce waste and attract more customers.
In a trial launched jointly with Bookoff Group Holdings, which buys and sells used goods, boxes have been installed at around 30 FamilyMart stores in residential areas of Tokyo. Bookoff plans to sell some of the collected items overseas, including to Malaysia.
FamilyMart said clothing deemed unsuitable for re-use will be recycled into new fibre.
The drive is the first collaborative project since Itochu, the parent company of FamilyMart, formed a capital tie-up with Bookoff Group in February.
The project builds on FamilyMart’s existing food drive charity programme, which has been implemented at about 4,900 of its 16,400 stores nationwide, where people can drop off excess household food items to be donated to those in need.
FamilyMart is considering expanding its used goods collection project to stores nationwide, hoping that this initiative will reduce the amount of disposed clothing by about 4,000 tonnes a year.
According to FamilyMart, citing figures released by the Ministry of Environment, some 560,000 tonnes of clothes are estimated to be disposed of as waste in Japan each year – equivalent to roughly 70 per cent of clothing newly supplied to the market. KYODO NEWS
