Packaging Manufacturer Proposes 'Non-Disposable Bags': 'Okawari' Refill Service for Tea Launched

Yoshimura Co., Ltd. (Shinagawa, Tokyo) has launched an 'Okawari' (refill) service for its domestic, caffeine-free tea series 'Mori no Kobashicha' at its antenna shop, 'Chazakka,' starting June 3, 2026.

Customers who bring an empty bag of the eligible product to the store will receive six tea bags for the same price as the regular five-count pack. By refilling bags that would otherwise be discarded, the company proposes a new way to reuse packaging.

Recently, interest in naphtha, a raw material for packaging, has grown due to shifts in the Middle Eastern situation. As a company dealing in packaging materials, Yoshimura planned this service to create an opportunity to rethink resource usage and the role of packaging.

■ Background

Most food packaging is made from petroleum-derived materials. Yoshimura is a manufacturer that plans and proposes food packaging. Naturally, manufacturing and selling new bags is a core part of its business.

However, the company believes that now is the time to propose the option of 'reusing existing bags' in addition to 'using new ones.' This thought led to the birth of the 'Okawari' service.

Chazakka operates as an antenna shop that nurtures new products and services based on customer feedback. By proposing 'non-disposable bags' as a packaging manufacturer, Yoshimura aims to encourage new ways of interacting with packaging.

■ Service Details

'Okawari' is an initiative to reuse empty bags of 'Mori no Kobashicha.' The service offers an extra tea bag rather than a discount. Customers get six tea bags instead of the standard five.

[Outline]

・Start date: June 3, 2026
・Store: Chazakka (4-7-15 Togoshi, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo)
・Eligible products: Mori no Kobashicha series
・Details: Bring an empty bag to get it refilled with 6 tea bags of the same kind (regularly 5).

■ Future Outlook

Through this initiative, Yoshimura will verify how customers accept the option of reusing packaging. The company intends to explore the new value and roles of packaging and propose them to tea specialty shops and food businesses nationwide.