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Week 1 : The Waste Diary
This waste diary highlights the types of waste I generate daily, revealing patterns in my consumption and disposal habits. Food waste (fruit peels, leftovers, and expired food) is a frequent category, indicating areas where I could improve in portion control and food preservation. Packaging waste, especially from single-use plastics like snack wrappers, plastic bottles, and coffee cups, is another recurring item, emphasizing my reliance on convenience products. Additionally, paper waste from old newspapers, receipts, and brochures suggests a need for better digital alternatives. Notably, electronic waste such as broken earphones and a phone charger appeared, reminding me of the long-term impact of discarded tech products. This reflection makes me more aware of how small daily choices contribute to overall waste, encouraging me to seek more sustainable habits, such as reducing single-use plastics, improving food management, and recycling responsibly.
Week 2 : Choosing Phase
One of the things I appreciate about living in Japan is the diverse of health-conscious snacks and beverages. Unlike in many other countries, where "healthy" snacks often lack variety or taste Japan’s health-focused food culture is fascinating because almost everything seems to have a "healthy" version from snacks to beverages.
Unsweetened Bold Green Tea that I frequently drink, for example, is labeled as a functional food because it contains catechins that are said to help reduce body fat. However, as I started seeing these labels more often, I began to wonder: Are these health claims fully regulated? How can companies legally market their products this way?
It turns out that Japan has strict regulations regarding functional food labeling. The Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) oversees these claims, ensuring that companies provide scientific evidence before labeling their products as functional foods. However, there is a key difference: Tokuho products must undergo rigorous government approval, while Foods with Functional Claims only require companies to submit scientific data but do not need official government approval. This means that some products might be backed by studies, but they are not necessarily tested by Japan’s regulatory agencies.
This makes me question: How reliable are these health claims? Are consumers fully aware of the differences between these categories? While I appreciate the variety and the idea of "healthier" snacks, I wonder whether companies sometimes use these labels as a marketing strategy rather than offering truly significant health benefits. Regardless, I find Japan’s approach to functional foods fascinating, and I look forward to exploring more of these delicious beneficial snacks and drinks.
< image source : liveinjapan.com
Week 3 : Personal Narrative
"A Simple Choice: Bottled Green Tea in My Daily Life"
The first time I bought Oi Ocha Unsweetened Bold Green Tea was a random moment in 7-Eleven. I remember standing in front of the drink section, thinking, "What kind of ocha should I try today?" At that time, I wasn’t particularly looking for something special, but I decided to go with green tea because I knew it was a healthier option.
I’ve always been more of a tea person than a coffee person. There’s no special memory behind it, but maybe it’s because my parents always served tea instead of coffee, especially in the morning or during buka puasa (breaking fast) in Ramadan. Tea has always felt like a natural choice for me, whether at home or outside. Now, in Japan, bottled green tea has become a staple in my daily routine, especially before or after my gym sessions. I see it as a healthier alternative to sugary drinks, and I like that it feels refreshing.
One thing I realized during my waste diary project is how often I buy bottled tea. I prefer to finish it inside the store where I bought it rather than taking it home, mainly because I don’t want to think about where and how to dispose of the empty bottle. I never thought much about this habit before, but now I see how convenience affects my decisions.
Looking at my waste habits, I started questioning: Am I drinking this because I truly need it, or just because it’s convenient? While I enjoy bottled tea, this project made me aware of how small daily habits contribute to waste production. Maybe it’s time to consider brewing my own tea at home, it’s not only cheaper but also better for the environment.
Week 4 : Life Cycle Assessment
The Journey of a Bottled Green Tea – From Factory to Waste Bin
Creation: From Tea Fields to Factory
My bottled green tea begins its journey in Japan’s renowned tea-growing regions, such as Shizuoka and Kagoshima prefectures. These regions are known for producing high-quality tea leaves, which are harvested and processed into green tea extract. After harvesting, the leaves undergo steaming, drying, and grinding to preserve their antioxidants and enhance their flavour (Ito En, n.d.). The tea extract is then transported to ITO EN’s manufacturing plant, where it is blended with water, pasteurized, and bottled.
The bottle itself is made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, a petroleum-based material. PET plastic is widely used for beverage packaging because it is lightweight and easily recyclable. However, the production of PET involves fossil fuel consumption, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions (Suntory, 2023).
Distribution: From Factory to Store Shelves
Once bottled, the green tea is packed into cardboard boxes and transported via trucks and cargo ships to distribution centres across Japan. From there, it is delivered to convenience stores, supermarkets, and vending machines (Ito En, n.d.). Since I usually purchase my tea at 7-Eleven, the bottle I select has likely travelled hundreds of kilometres before arriving at the store fridge.
Consumption & Disposal: A Short-Lived Use
I regularly choose this tea as a healthier alternative to sugary beverages, especially when going to the gym. However, my interaction with the bottle is brief—within 30 minutes to an hour, I finish drinking it and must decide where to dispose of it.
Japan has an advanced PET bottle recycling system, where consumers are encouraged to empty the contents, remove caps and labels, and place bottles in designated recycling bins (Kobe City, 2021). However, despite this efficient system, not all PET bottles are recycled into new bottles—some are downcycled or incinerated. To address this issue, bottle-to-bottle horizontal recycling is becoming more popular, where used PET bottles are processed into new beverage bottles, reducing the need for virgin materials and lowering CO₂ emissions (Suntory, 2023).
Recycling & Circular Economy: The 7-Eleven Approach
According to 7 & i Holdings (2023), their stores actively participate in a customer-participation circular economy, where:
· Customers dispose of plastic bottles at designated collection bins.
· Stores gather and send these bottles for sorting and compression.
· Logistics companies transport them efficiently using volume-reducing technology.
· Waste plastic recyclers convert them into high-quality plastic pellets.
· Manufacturers use these recycled materials to produce new PET bottles.
· New products made from recycled materials return to store shelves, completing the cycle.
This initiative significantly reduces carbon emissions, as transporting compressed plastic bottles requires less fuel, and using recycled PET instead of virgin plastic lowers overall environmental impact. However, the system relies heavily on customer participation, meaning not all PET bottles end up in recycling streams, and some are still incinerated.
Reflection: The Bigger Picture of Waste
Reflecting on this process, I realize the significant resources and energy expended to produce a beverage that I consume in less than an hour. While Japan’s recycling initiatives are impressive, the reliance on single-use plastic bottles still poses environmental challenges. This awareness has led me to consider switching to a reusable bottle or brewing my own tea at home to reduce both waste and carbon footprint.
Week 5 : Reflection & Providing Alternatives
Rethinking My Consumption – A Lesson from Bottled Green Tea
When I first started this project, I didn’t think much about my green tea consumption. I always assumed that choosing bottled tea over sugary drinks was a healthier and somewhat harmless choice. However, after tracking my waste and researching its life cycle, I realized that even a seemingly small habit—buying a plastic bottle of green tea—has a much bigger impact than I had imagined.
One thing that stood out to me was how much plastic waste I generate without realizing it. I typically buy Oi Ocha at least four to five times a week, meaning I discard over 200 bottles a year just from this one habit. Even though Japan has an efficient PET bottle recycling system, I learned that not all PET bottles are actually recycled into new bottles, many are downcycled, incinerated, or exported. This made me question: Am I really making a sustainable choice, or just participating in a cycle of convenience?
What also struck me is how much my consumer behavior is shaped by convenience. I often finish my tea and dispose of the bottle at the store because I don’t want to carry it around. Learning about 7-Eleven’s PET bottle collection system made me appreciate Japan’s effort to create a circular economy, but it also made me wonder: Wouldn’t it be better if I didn’t rely on single-use bottles in the first place?
Taking Action: Small Changes for a Bigger Impact
Moving forward, I want to make conscious efforts to reduce my reliance on bottled tea:
✅ Carrying a reusable bottle: Instead of buying bottled tea every day, I’ll start brewing my own tea at home and bring it with me.
✅ Choosing brands with sustainable packaging: If I must buy bottled tea, I’ll look for brands using 100% recycled PET bottles or more sustainable materials.
✅ Encouraging others to rethink their choices: Many of my friends also rely on bottled drinks daily. Sharing what I’ve learned might help them make better choices too.
This project helped me realize that sustainability isn’t just about recycling—it’s about rethinking our daily habits and making intentional choices. Even a small change, like switching to a reusable bottle, can have a long-term impact.
Reference :
7 & i Holdings. (2023). Sustainable packaging and recycling initiatives. Retrieved January 28, 2025, from https://www.7andi.com/en/sustainability/theme/theme3/package-recycle.html
Ito En. (n.d.). All about green tea: Tea production process. Retrieved January 28, 2025, from https://www.itoen-global.com/allabout_greentea/production/process.php
Kobe City. (2021). How to separate and dispose of garbage in Kobe. Retrieved January 28, 2025, from https://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/documents/50396/english_shigen.pdf
Suntory. (2023). Suntory's bottle-to-bottle initiative for a circular economy. Retrieved January 28, 2025, from https://www.suntory.com/csr/env_circular/recycle
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