From March 21 to April 7, “Nakame Challenge Cup 2023” was held at “FUNAIRI-BA” (Funairi-jo Square along the Meguro River) in Nakameguro. The event aimed to achieve “zero disposable plastic cups” by using approximately 10,000 eco-cups, and we visited as a business involved in recycling aluminum cups.

During the festival, Asahi You Us (headquartered in Tokyo, President Shimon Takamori) provided three types of eco-cups to visitors through a deposit system (500 yen).

Consumers purchasing beer could choose from the following three cup options: ① “Aluminum Cup” promoted by UACJ Corporation (headquartered in Tokyo, President Miyuki Ishihara) that can be perpetually recycled, ② “ECOFeel CUP,” a reusable iron eco-cup planned by JFE Steel Corporation (headquartered in Tokyo, President Yoshihisa Kitano), and ③ “Forest Tumbler” made mainly of plant fibers.

UACJ provided approximately 5,000 aluminum cups. The collected cups will be recycled and processed into tablets at Yamaichi Metal. This event aimed to let users experience the lightweight and high thermal conductivity of aluminum cups, while contributing to the reduction of disposable plastic cups through the reuse and collection of aluminum cups at the venue.

During the “Nakame Challenge Cup 2023,” 5,974 disposable plastic cups were reduced, resulting in approximately 0.42 tons of CO2 reduction.

The visit left a strong impression, seeing companies and local governments dedicated to environmental improvement working together to achieve results. At Yamaichi Metal, we will continue to strive for further CO2 and industrial waste reduction by accelerating the horizontal recycling of aluminum cans, and work tirelessly to solve various environmental and social issues on Earth.

References：Nakame Challenge Cup 2023
References：Establishment of Joint Venture with UACJ: Providing Yamaichi Metal’s Unique Aluminum Can Recycling System