By 2040, Zero Industrial Waste from 2 Million Orchid Pots Annually, Zero Disposal Burden for Recipients (General Affairs, Secretaries, Public Relations)! #AprilDream

Our company supports April Dream, a project that aims to make April 1st a day for expressing dreams. This press release is the dream of "Hikaru Orchid Co., Ltd."

Hikaru Orchid Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Arida City, Wakayama Prefecture https://www.hikaru-orchids.co.jp/) is an orchid producer with over 40 years of history, and we are committed to directly addressing and solving the social issues facing the orchid industry.

■ The background to wanting to realize this dream

Phalaenopsis orchids have been indispensable in business celebration scenes, but for many years, there has been a "heavy issue" that has been left unaddressed. After enjoying the beautiful orchid flowers, what remains are huge ceramic pots, overly sturdy iron wires, and the living orchid seedlings. These require a great deal of effort to separate, creating a "dark side" where they become "glamorous industrial waste" in busy offices. Our company has taken the first step towards solving these issues by changing the "products we sell" themselves. This led to the creation of the world's only SDGs orchid, "FOR EARTH."

■ Hikaru Orchid's Initiatives

What makes "FOR EARTH" fundamentally different from other orchids is that we deliver orchids assembled entirely from natural materials such as cypress, bamboo skewers, and paper, without using any iron, plastic, or ceramic, directly from our own farm to customers. This eliminates the need for recipients (general affairs, secretaries, public relations) to struggle with "disassembly with pliers" after the flowers have faded. By making it possible to dispose of the entire pot as "general waste," we have dramatically reduced the burden on recipients (general affairs, secretaries, public relations).

Furthermore, we have also started a free collection service for used orchids, "FOR EARTH ZERO," which eliminates the hassle of "disposing of them as trash." Recipients can simply place the faded orchid pot back into the original box, attach the enclosed return label, and make a single phone call to have Sagawa Express pick it up from their office. As an orchid producer, we also prioritize the "life of the orchid" and significantly reduce environmental impact by "reusing" collected pots and supports according to their materials, and "re-cultivating" seedlings to recirculate them.

These initiatives directly challenge the conventional wisdom that "orchids are disposable and temporary." They represent our pride and mission as orchid producers who do not want the carefully cultivated orchids to become "trash" or "industrial waste." These efforts have been recognized, and we received the "Minister of the Environment Special Award" at the "Social Products Award 2026 (https://www.apsp.or.jp/spa_award_year/2026/)."

Our dream and goal are to replace 2 million orchid pots annually with our "FOR EARTH" and "FOR EARTH ZERO" by 2040, achieving zero industrial waste from orchids and zero disposal burden for recipients (general affairs, secretaries). We want to preserve Japan's wonderful culture of celebrating with orchids in a "sustainable" way for future generations.

*"April Dream" is a project by PR TIMES where companies announce dreams they wish to achieve on April 1st. We are seriously aiming to realize this dream.

[About Hikaru Orchid]

An orchid producer in Arida City, Wakayama Prefecture, with over 40 years of history. With the corporate message "Be Happy with Nature," we aim to create healing and smiles for our customers by providing products, services, and information that bring customers closer to nature.

https://www.hikaru-orchids.co.jp/