Online Seminar 'Let's Casually Go Plastic-Free! Let's Be Mindful of a Sustainable Lifestyle - A Seminar to Start by Knowing' to be Held on 'Environment Day,' June 5th

The Nippon Foundation Volunteer Center (hereinafter 'Nippon Foundation Volcen,' Minato-ku, Tokyo, Chairman: Yasushi Yamawaki) will hold an online seminar, 'Let's Casually Go Plastic-Free! Let's Be Mindful of a Sustainable Lifestyle - A Seminar to Start by Knowing,' on 'Environment Day,' Friday, June 5, in conjunction with Environment Month in June. In this seminar, we will welcome Ms. Tomoko Hoshino, Representative Director of the Environmental Partnership Council, as a lecturer. Under the theme of 'reducing plastics = going plastic-free,' she will introduce specific ideas and choices that can be enjoyed and practiced in daily life. ■ Lifestyles Changing with the Middle East Situation and 'Going Plastic-Free'. In recent years, while interest in marine plastic waste issues and the environmental impact of microplastics has been increasing, many people feel that they 'don't know where to start' or that 'environmental issues seem difficult.' Furthermore, amid continued supply instability and price hikes of petroleum products due to the situation in the Middle East, manufacturers and companies are also reviewing packaging and switching from plastic to paper, making 'going plastic-free' an even more familiar theme in our lives and consumption behavior. The Nippon Foundation Volcen has previously conducted environmental volunteer activities such as beach cleanups, but this time, in addition to 'participating in activities,' we will broaden our perspective to 'things we can do in our daily lives' and provide an opportunity to reflect on our lifestyle and consumption. This seminar is designed to be easy for beginners in environmental issues to participate in, emphasizing 'starting casually with what you can do' rather than 'aiming for perfection.' We aim for the small actions that start with 'knowing' to become the first step in thinking about our future lives and the environment. ■'Let's Casually Go Plastic-Free! Let's Be Mindful of a Sustainable Lifestyle - A Seminar to Start by Knowing' Overview. Date & Time: June 5 (Fri) 19:00-20:15. Method: Online (using Zoom). Fee: Free. Application: Accepting applications on the Nippon Foundation Volcen official website 'Vokatsu!' https://vokatsu.jp/seminar/1777610480131x387404513934835700/ Application Deadline: June 3 (Wed) 17:00. Content: - What is 'going plastic-free' that you can enjoy and continue in your daily life? - Sharing what you are working on with everyone. Speaker: Ms. Tomoko Hoshino (Representative Director, Environmental Partnership Council). Profile: Has been involved in the management of international conferences on environment and development and support for NPO/NGO activities. Currently engaged in the operation of the 'Global Environment Outreach Centre' on the 1st floor of the United Nations University and activities aimed at achieving the SDGs. In the 1990s, she created a national environmental youth network and a system for zero-waste at events. Currently, she is involved in agricultural experience activities and neighborhood association activities as a volunteer. She served as the vice-representative of the NPO/NGO network during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. ■ The Nippon Foundation Volunteer Center (Nippon Foundation Volcen) Overview. The Nippon Foundation Volcen was established in 2010 as the NPO Japan Student Volunteer Center, starting support for student volunteer activities, and by March 2022, had dispatched a total of more than 12,000 students to the disaster areas of the Great East Japan Earthquake. In 2021, its name was changed to 'The Nippon Foundation Volunteer Center,' and it now conducts volunteer-related projects for a wide range of generations, not just students. It was involved in training and development projects for volunteers at the Tokyo 2020 Games, and has since continued to train volunteers for large-scale events such as the World Athletics Championships, support volunteer organizations, and has concluded partnership agreements on volunteering with 120 universities nationwide. The number of registered users on its volunteer platform site 'Vokatsu!' is currently about 54,000. Location: 4F, The Nippon Foundation 2nd Bldg., 1-11-2 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001. Representative: Chairman Yasushi Yamawaki.