Achievement by 2020: 3) Food Resources and the Environment
The global community is facing climate change, global warming, loss of biodiversity, and problems with resources, water, and energy. Ajinomoto is determined to help solve these interconnected issues through its business activities.
Promoting Eco-Living, Starting at the Dining Table
Spreading the eco campaign through products |
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In 2007, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., improved the packaging for its HON-DASHI® Japanese flavor seasonings in terms of each of the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, and recycle). In stores, it implemented sales promotions offering “eco sets,” which include a reusable bottle and HON-DASHI® “eco-bag” refill packs. |
In addition to making its products more environmentally friendly, the Ajinomoto Group also provides daily eco-action suggestions at stores, in advertisements and cooking classes, and through other mediums. Comprising the three steps of eco-shopping, eco-cooking, and eco-eating, the eco-action suggestions can be applied in a range of situations, such as preparing for a home-cooked meal.
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The company holds occasional classes, both in and outside the company, that teach participants how to make their own original reusable shopping bags. |
Step 1: Eco-shopping
The company promotes using reusable bags for carrying groceries and buying in-season vegetables.
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Sautéed eggplant skin (right) is a popular dish in Japan. |
Step 2: Eco-cooking
The company provides eco-cooking recipes that suggest using almost every part of the vegetable to eliminate waste. Eco-cooking also emphasizes using in-season vegetables for the best flavor—ensuring that everything is eaten heartily.
In keeping with the seasons, the company considers how cooked “warm vegetables” such as pumpkins and onions warm up the body, and how cooked “cool vegetables” such as cucumbers and lettuce cool it down.
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The sign in this exhibit reads: “The average amount of food per person that goes uneaten in Japanese homes every year amounts to about 17 kg,” equal to the weight of the pumpkins on display, which visitors are invited to lift as a way to actually feel the amount. |
Step 3: Eco-eating
The company promotes making appropriate amounts of food to avoid having leftovers.
