Lion Expands 'Toothbrush Recycling' Program in Saitama Private Kindergartens and Nursery Schools

Lion Corporation (Representative Director, President and Executive Officer: Masayuki Takemori) is promoting the 'Toothbrush Recycling' program to turn the habit of 'throwing away' into 'recycling' for the purpose of plastic resource circulation. In May 2025, as part of Saitama Prefecture's Circular Economy Promotion Project, Lion started the 'Toothbrush Recycling' program in 10 private kindergartens and nursery schools in Saitama Prefecture, in collaboration with Saitama Prefecture, the All-Saitama Private Kindergarten Federation, and Community Net Co., Ltd. From May 2026, the company will expand the initiative to approximately 100 kindergartens and nursery schools in the southern block (such as Saitama City). This will provide more children and their parents with hands-on opportunities to learn both 'healthy habits' through brushing and habits of 'not wasting' plastic. ■ Background As a leading company in oral healthcare, Lion is dedicated to maintaining oral health through products, services, educational activities, and information provision. In June 2019, the company announced its long-term environmental goal, 'LION Eco Challenge 2050,' to work toward a decarbonized and resource-circulating society. The 'Toothbrush Recycling' program, which started in 2015, reached its 11th year in 2026 and has involved consumer-participatory programs and collaborations with local governments. In May 2025, practical implementation began in educational settings with a focus on 'health, environment, and habit-building.' The program uses the toothbrush—a daily necessity—as a theme, allowing children to learn through experience to form 'healthy habits' from brushing and 'no-waste habits' by recycling rather than discarding used toothbrushes. By learning that toothbrushes are collected, recycled, and transformed back into usable plastic, the program aims to make 'recycling' a natural, everyday practice for children. ■ 2025 Program Overview and Results Target: 10 private kindergartens and nursery schools in Saitama Prefecture (Kawagoe, Koshigaya, Saitama City, Soka) Implementation: - Collection of used toothbrushes - Provision of health (oral hygiene) and environmental (resource circulation) education - Traveling classes (programs utilizing expertise in dentistry and environmental science) Results (Behavioral Change): Schools implementing the program reported the following changes: - Seeing used toothbrushes pile up in the collection box, children expressed surprise and began to feel that 'not throwing things away as a group' is important. - Teachers and children discussed how important it is for the circle of recycling to spread from ourselves to family, relatives, and friends. - Children started checking the status of their family members' toothbrushes. - Families were able to discuss the importance of repurposing tools that protect oral health. Through these activities, the awareness that 'toothbrushes should be recycled, not thrown away' has sprouted, and children are increasingly taking the initiative to carry them to the collection boxes. Understanding that 'plastic can be reborn' is deepening, and they are beginning to see how expanding the recycling circle creates significant change. ■ Future Outlook Following the expansion to the southern block in 2026, the company aims to expand the program to all private kindergartens and nursery schools in Saitama Prefecture by 2030. Lion will continue to work on both creating healthy habits and promoting plastic resource circulation. Toothbrushes collected through these activities will undergo R&D to convert them into high-quality recycled resins. Furthermore, the company is considering mechanisms to ensure children can continue participating in recycling activities at local elementary schools and community centers after graduation, naturally connecting these childhood habits to later life stages.