[98.5% reuse unconsciously] 31 companies co-create to realize a circular economy. Applications open for 'August 8 Reuse Day' experiential event for elementary school students
BOOKOFF, backed by the Ministries of Environment and Economy, will host a 'Reuse Day' experiential event for elementary students on August 7-8, 2026, alongside 31 companies, highlighting that 98.5% of people unconsciously engage in reuse.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 15, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 15, 2026 at 10:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 13:26 (98h 54m after Collected)
BOOKOFF Group Holdings Limited (Headquarters: Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture; President and CEO: Yasutaka Horiuchi; hereinafter "BOOKOFF"), as a member of the executive committee, will hold a reuse experience event for elementary school students and their parents, "August 8 Reuse Day ~Connecting Smiles into the Power of the Future~" on Friday, August 7 and Saturday, August 8, 2026, at Akiba Square in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, with the aim of expanding the reuse population triggered by Reuse Day on August 8. Backed by the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, a total of 31 companies have endorsed the event as of April. By creating an opportunity to think about reuse through the event and the businesses of each company, we aim to deepen understanding and encourage action, making people realize that the choices they make unconsciously lead to a circular economy. Event participation applications begin today, Wednesday, April 15, 2026.
■ 98.5% of people who "have not reused in the past year" use reuse out of necessity unconsciously
As the transition to a circular economy, which aims to maximize value by circulating resources and products, progresses domestically and internationally, reuse—using things repeatedly without changing their form—is an initiative that connects to the circular economy, driven by consumers acting out of a desire not to waste things they no longer use. The domestic reuse market size is expected to reach approximately 3.3 trillion yen in 2024 and 4 trillion yen in 2030 (*1). On the other hand, the percentage of consumers who have experienced reuse in both purchasing and selling/handing over in the past year is decreasing to around 30%. The Ministry of the Environment has announced a goal of expanding the base of reuse and making it the norm, raising the percentage of people who have purchased reused goods to 35.3% and those who have sold/handed over unused products to 36.8% by 2030 (*2).
The BOOKOFF Group, which serves as the executive committee for the 2026 "August 8 Reuse Day," is engaged in activities to make reuse more accessible to consumers through its business in order to promote the entire industry as a leading reuse company. In a survey targeting BOOKOFF official app members to understand the gap in reuse among customers using BOOKOFF, it was revealed that 98.5% of those who answered "I have no experience reusing in the past year" had actually used BOOKOFF for either selling or purchasing in the past year, indicating that they were taking reuse actions unconsciously.
Based on these results, by using Reuse Day as an opportunity to spread awareness that services provided by various companies, including BOOKOFF, are in fact reuse, and by helping people realize that their unconscious daily actions are smart choices that lead to a circular economy, we aim to make reuse a natural consumer behavior for everyday people.
[Survey Overview]
Survey Period: February 24 - March 9, 2026
Target Audience: 15,468 BOOKOFF official app members
Survey Method: Internet survey
■ Over 30 endorsing companies and organizations co-create opportunities for reuse actions. Parents and children experience reuse and internalize the circular economy
"Reuse Day" is an anniversary established in 2023 upon application by the Japan Reuse Affairs Association, with the aim of getting more people to know the benefits and fun of reuse and to engage in it. The origin of August 8 is the alignment of two "8"s, which share the same shape as "∞" (infinity), conjuring the image of items continuously circulating from person to person.
The background to the survey results showing no increase in people with reuse experience over the past year includes the fact that actions taken unconsciously when letting go of items are not recognized as reuse, anxiety toward purchasing businesses stemming from opaque purchase prices and how let-go products will be utilized, and the time and effort required for selling, whether at stores or via flea market apps. To deepen the understanding of reuse while turning negative images into positive ones and to prompt behavioral changes triggered by Reuse Day, a reuse experience event will be held over two days on Friday, August 7 and Saturday, August 8, 2026, alongside 31 endorsing companies, with the support of the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
This event is primarily aimed at 5th and 6th-grade elementary school students and their parents who learn about sustainable living in school classes. By experiencing the reuse they have learned as classroom knowledge through workshops, we will create opportunities for them to incorporate it into their daily lives, grasp the circular economy as a personal matter, and take action. Furthermore, in our initiatives with endorsing companies, we expand the target audience and touchpoints from the event, through the businesses and services of each company...
■ 98.5% of people who "have not reused in the past year" use reuse out of necessity unconsciously
As the transition to a circular economy, which aims to maximize value by circulating resources and products, progresses domestically and internationally, reuse—using things repeatedly without changing their form—is an initiative that connects to the circular economy, driven by consumers acting out of a desire not to waste things they no longer use. The domestic reuse market size is expected to reach approximately 3.3 trillion yen in 2024 and 4 trillion yen in 2030 (*1). On the other hand, the percentage of consumers who have experienced reuse in both purchasing and selling/handing over in the past year is decreasing to around 30%. The Ministry of the Environment has announced a goal of expanding the base of reuse and making it the norm, raising the percentage of people who have purchased reused goods to 35.3% and those who have sold/handed over unused products to 36.8% by 2030 (*2).
The BOOKOFF Group, which serves as the executive committee for the 2026 "August 8 Reuse Day," is engaged in activities to make reuse more accessible to consumers through its business in order to promote the entire industry as a leading reuse company. In a survey targeting BOOKOFF official app members to understand the gap in reuse among customers using BOOKOFF, it was revealed that 98.5% of those who answered "I have no experience reusing in the past year" had actually used BOOKOFF for either selling or purchasing in the past year, indicating that they were taking reuse actions unconsciously.
Based on these results, by using Reuse Day as an opportunity to spread awareness that services provided by various companies, including BOOKOFF, are in fact reuse, and by helping people realize that their unconscious daily actions are smart choices that lead to a circular economy, we aim to make reuse a natural consumer behavior for everyday people.
[Survey Overview]
Survey Period: February 24 - March 9, 2026
Target Audience: 15,468 BOOKOFF official app members
Survey Method: Internet survey
■ Over 30 endorsing companies and organizations co-create opportunities for reuse actions. Parents and children experience reuse and internalize the circular economy
"Reuse Day" is an anniversary established in 2023 upon application by the Japan Reuse Affairs Association, with the aim of getting more people to know the benefits and fun of reuse and to engage in it. The origin of August 8 is the alignment of two "8"s, which share the same shape as "∞" (infinity), conjuring the image of items continuously circulating from person to person.
The background to the survey results showing no increase in people with reuse experience over the past year includes the fact that actions taken unconsciously when letting go of items are not recognized as reuse, anxiety toward purchasing businesses stemming from opaque purchase prices and how let-go products will be utilized, and the time and effort required for selling, whether at stores or via flea market apps. To deepen the understanding of reuse while turning negative images into positive ones and to prompt behavioral changes triggered by Reuse Day, a reuse experience event will be held over two days on Friday, August 7 and Saturday, August 8, 2026, alongside 31 endorsing companies, with the support of the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
This event is primarily aimed at 5th and 6th-grade elementary school students and their parents who learn about sustainable living in school classes. By experiencing the reuse they have learned as classroom knowledge through workshops, we will create opportunities for them to incorporate it into their daily lives, grasp the circular economy as a personal matter, and take action. Furthermore, in our initiatives with endorsing companies, we expand the target audience and touchpoints from the event, through the businesses and services of each company...