Born in Tokyo in 1988. Has lived in Kyoto since 2021.

Keele University "Sustainability, Society and
Graduated from the Master's course at "The Environment". Circular Economy Researcher / Sustainable Business Advisor /
Video creator. Representative of Circular Initiatives & Partners. World Economic Forum Global Future
Member of Council on Japan.

We are active in two countries, the Netherlands and Japan, which are both pioneers in the circular economy, and we introduce the circular economy to Japan through hosting study events in the Netherlands and giving lectures.
He has participated in the expansion of Dutch companies into Japan, such as Tony's Chocolonely, and acts as a bridge between Japan and Europe in promoting the circular economy. He also serves as an advisor and external consultant to several companies.

Publications: "Practicing Circular Economy - Exploring Business Models in the Netherlands (Gakugei Publishing)" (June 2021), among others.
Awards received: "Ministry of the Environment Environmental Economics Division Chief's Award" at the "Sustaina Awards 2020" and "Prime Minister's Encouragement Award (Grand Prix)" at the "Youth People's Honor Award (TOYP2021)"

https://circularinitiatives.com/

The circular economy is a future-oriented economic system that is also known as a "recycling economy." As economic growth based on the traditional "mass production, mass consumption, and mass waste" has plateaued and we are facing the threat of climate change and resource depletion, the circular economy aims to recycle all products and raw materials that have been discarded up until now as "resources" and circulate them in perpetuity.

In addition, this model excludes the "throwing away" phase.

The fashion industry is known for its particularly high environmental impact due to the amount of energy consumed in manufacturing and the short life cycle, and the introduction of a circular economy is considered a priority issue. weavearth is also conducting research and preparations to put this into practice, but there are still many things we do not know and we are still feeling our way around.

With expert Akihiro Yasui as guest, we discussed the concept of circular economy, the issues that weavearth must currently address, and the role and potential of hemp and linen in the future fashion business.

Source: Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Circular economy, this is the key!

The key to the circular economy is to circulate waste generated during manufacturing and used products within the manufacturing cycle without throwing them away. When I talk about this, I always get the response, "Isn't that just an idealistic idea?" But what if you imagine a new business or brand you're starting?
If a system for recycling resources is created from the product design and design concept stage, implementation should go much smoother.

A good example of this is the MUD project, a Dutch startup.
Jeans (Mad
"Jeans." With the philosophy of "eliminating the practice of throwing away jeans from the world," the company has adopted a lease system, and if the jeans are torn or no longer fit, they can be repaired or replaced. In addition, used jeans are collected and returned to fiber for reuse. In 2019, Adidas also announced "100% recyclable running shoes" by using a single material, recycled plastic, and not using adhesives (FUTURECRAFT.LOOP).

What we can see from these examples is an attempt to effectively align "economic growth" with "reducing environmental impact," as well as, conversely, a new movement to evaluate business performance not in terms of GDP or sales, but in terms of the health and happiness of society.

Three principles essential to practice

Here are three important principles to keep in mind when implementing a circular economy.

① It must regenerate the natural cycle. ② It must be designed to produce no waste or pollution. ② It must continue to use the products and resources.

Reference: Circular Economy Concept Diagram

The most important perspective among these is "①Regeneration of the natural cycle." At the root of this is the current situation where the destruction and pollution of the global environment has progressed to a very serious state, and we are in a "negative state." Recently, awareness of the SDGs has increased, and awareness of "sustainability" has also increased, but if anything, it has more of a connotation of "maintaining the status quo" and "reducing the negative," and nature will not return to its original state by itself. Therefore, more positive actions to restore nature are required. For example, the hemp that weavearth handles has been scientifically proven to have the effect of restoring soil health. I feel that this is an area where we can expect great future use.

Crosstalk:

weavearth x Akihiro Yasui

Could hemp be the key to regenerating nature?

weavearth Ohigashi (hereinafter, weavearth): The "butterfly diagram" clearly outlines what we need to do and is easy to understand. We wanted to use this as a reference for weavearth's hemp linen products and create our own circulation cycle. Hemp in particular is a material that is not only suitable for returning to the soil, but is also suitable for recycling. Strong paper can be made from the "ears" of the fabric or from used cloth, and oil can also be extracted from hemp seeds. Experiments are also underway to use this as fuel to run cars.

Yasui-san: What's great about hemp is that there's nothing to waste, either the plant itself or the fabric that's made into the product. Hemp is attracting a lot of attention around the world as a recyclable material.

weavearth: I also thought it was great that the circular economy places importance on "regenerating nature." Since weavearth and the fashion industry both deal with natural fibers, I feel like we can make various contributions.

Yasui: A circulation cycle that harnesses the power of microorganisms is essential for the regeneration of nature. That's why "regenerative agriculture" has begun to be introduced overseas. It's an unfamiliar term, but in simple terms, it involves using traditional agricultural techniques such as crop rotation and organic fertilizer to increase organic matter in the soil and restore the health of the land. This makes it possible to absorb more CO2, and is expected to help curb climate change.

weavearth: The hemp we deal with is truly a "regenerative" crop. Planting hemp improves and improves the soil, and it is said that the amount of CO2 absorbed by hemp as it grows is greater than that of forests. Furthermore, it has been proven that by planting hemp on land contaminated with heavy metals, such as the remains of mines, it can absorb pollutants and purify the soil, a process known as "phytoremediation." We would like to actively promote these functions as well.

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The world is paying attention to ancient Japanese wisdom

Yasui: If you have any vision for how you would like weavearth to develop into a brand in the future, I would love to hear about it.

weavearth: Both hemp and linen are fabrics that are very durable. In Europe, linen fabric has a history of being carefully passed down for generations. That's why we want to make effective use of resources by continuing to make "durable products." Durability doesn't just mean the "strength and sturdiness of the object itself," it also means "emotional strength (strength of attachment)." We also want to develop designs and textures that people will want to cherish for a long time. Proper care is necessary to achieve this, so we want to introduce this knowledge along with the story behind the fabric itself.

Yasui: In order to use products for a long time, it is necessary to establish a system that makes it easy to "repair." In fact, in EU member states, there is a growing movement to recognize the "right to repair" for citizens. In other words, manufacturers are being asked to fundamentally redesign existing products so that users can repair them themselves, in addition to setting up repair counters and providing parts. The "butterfly diagram" also makes it clear that repair has more environmental and economic benefits than recycling or reusing.

weavearth: The right to repair is...! Environmentally advanced countries are one step ahead.

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Yasui: By the way, when I first touched weavearth's hemp fabric, I was surprised at how soft and pleasant it felt! I had always thought of hemp as being "rough" and "stiff," so I realized that this was one of weavearth's strengths. I heard that AKAI, the parent company of weavearth, is a specialized linen trading company with over 100 years of history. It is precisely because they are skilled in handling linen that they are able to create such a rich texture even with hemp.

weavearth: I'm glad that you understand our strengths. This texture is something unique that only we can produce. We want to cherish it and nurture it.

Yasui: Hemp is one of the primitive fabrics that has been woven in Japan since before the volunteer movement. It's interesting to see how adding Akai's latest technology to this has evolved it into a cutting-edge textile. In fact, the global sustainable market is paying attention to Japan's ancient wisdom for life. For example, I think that if we combine the perspective of the circular society of the Edo period with technology, we will surely see great innovation. We look forward to seeing more developments from weavearth in the future!

weavearth: I'll do my best! Thank you for today.