The 'Use Paper Whenever Possible' Project Expands Its Network to 120 Stores in Osaka Prefecture! A Local Broadcaster Aired a Special Feature Focusing on Each Store's Initiatives.

Since April 2025, the general incorporated association CHANGE FOR THE BLUE Osaka has been conducting an initiative to certify restaurants and companies that use environmentally friendly materials for takeout containers, bags, and straws as "Paper-Friendly (Kami-Taiou) Stores," amidst the serious environmental problems caused by marine plastic waste. Furthermore, during this fiscal year, from January to March 2026, a local broadcaster aired a special feature focusing on the initiatives of each store. This project is held as part of the "The Ocean and Japan Project: CHANGE FOR THE BLUE," a marine debris countermeasure project promoted by The Nippon Foundation. Project Overview - Overview: An initiative to certify restaurants and companies that use environmentally friendly materials for takeout containers, bags, and straws as "Paper-Friendly (Kami-Taiou) Stores" to address the serious environmental issues caused by marine plastic waste. - Dates: April 2025 – March 2026 - Location: Throughout Osaka Prefecture The 'Use Paper Whenever Possible' Store Network Expands! Joint Initiatives with the Hyogo Area Also Implemented! The number of stores participating in the "Use Paper Whenever Possible" project has increased year by year, with the network expanding to 120 stores this fiscal year. From January to February 2026, we conducted a "Delicious Food Giveaway Campaign" spanning both Hyogo and Osaka, encouraging those who visited "Paper-Friendly" stores to take personal ownership of the marine debris issue. Special Feature Aired for Three Months on Sun TV! From January to March 2026, a special feature on the "Use Paper Whenever Possible Project" was broadcast on Sun TV's "Bakibaki☆Beat! II," which airs every Saturday at 0:00. Six stores from Osaka were selected, and interviews were conducted to showcase how each store is working on their "Paper-Friendly" initiatives. The broadcast helped the project gain further momentum, with an increasing number of stores expressing interest in joining the project after watching the television program. Organization Name: General Incorporated Association CHANGE FOR THE BLUE Osaka Activities: Implementing the "The Ocean and Japan Project: CHANGE FOR THE BLUE" project promoted by The Nippon Foundation within Osaka Prefecture. CHANGE FOR THE BLUE This project has been promoted since November 2018 as part of The Nippon Foundation's "The Ocean and Japan Project," with the goal of having every citizen take personal ownership of the marine debris issue and raising awareness across society to "stop putting more trash into the ocean." We collaborate with stakeholders from industry, government, academia, and the private sector to create models for reducing marine debris and share them both domestically and internationally. https://uminohi.jp/umigomi/ The Nippon Foundation "The Ocean and Japan Project" This is an all-Japan project aimed at helping people across the country, starting with children, perceive the current state of environmental degradation occurring in our oceans—which support our lives and provide us with peace of mind, excitement, and inspiration—as a "personal matter," and to expand the circle of action to pass the ocean on to the future. https://uminohi.jp/