It’s the moment we have all been waiting for: the completion of Kamikatsu town’s Zero Waste Center. It’s been more than a year since we first heard of its plans. Now, the town’s efforts has come to fruition, and the execution is better than expected.
Why is Kamikatsu Zero Waste Center “WHY” so important?
To spur an idea, it needs a symbol for others to rally behind. The Zero Waste Center is that symbol for Kamikatsu’s goal as a zero waste town. It is not just a place where citizens come to sort out their waste as part of their zero waste lifestyle. The center is also a place where a community gathers, supported by the Center’s staff. It is where exchanges of ideas and solutions occur, and thus further soldering Kamikatsu town’s commitment towards zero waste.
It is therefore not a coincidence that Kamikatsu’s Zero Waste Center is named “WHY”. It reminds us to keep questioning: Why do we buy things? Why do we use them? Why do we throw them? Why do we (as a business) sell things? The question mark structure of the center is a deliberate decision to support this mindset.
View from the top. The next time you find this on Google Map, you may remind yourself to question our needs and wants. (Image: transit-web.com)
Going zero waste for the future of our children
Although the Kamikatsu’s Zero Waste Center WHY wants to appeal to environment-enthusiasts and manufacturers, Kamikatsu town is also thinking about the future of its children.
It is a rather wonderful thought that the children are growing up in a zero waste town. They have a knowledgeable grasp on the products they use and are apt at separation of waste. As such, zero waste is their norm. Having started life with a zero waste lifestyle, the children of Kamikatsu can have pride in growing up in a zero waste town.
Located in the lush greens of Kamikatsu. (Image: transit-web.com)
And that is something we should be striving for: to have pride in creating a waste free future for our children, to have pride living a lifestyle that has minimum impact on the environment. Amidst the climate crisis we are facing, discouraging the use of plastic bags alone and slow policies is unlikely enough. On the other hand, Kamikatsu town’s commitment to zero waste is a model we can adopt. The Zero Waste Center WHY will continue to light our way there.
The details about their recycling center, co-working space and Hotel WHY can be found in the full article on Zenbird Media. You will also learn what the 20% is that holding back Kamikatsu from achieving 100% recycling rate.
Additional Resources
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