On Saturday, February 26th, an online event hosted by the Environmental Bureau of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, “Let’s Reduce Disposal Plastic and Food Waste ~Let’s Start Something That’s Good For the Earth~,” was held. A senior in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Soka University, Ms. Rei Kurosawa, made a presentation on a theme she works on in Professor Shinsaku Maruta’s seminar, “Development of Bioplastic with Brewer's Rice and Rice Flour Sourced from Hachioji.”

The event was held to have students attending universities in Tokyo present projects and research that would reduce food waste and disposal of plastic, and explore this theme to promote actions to reduce them. This time, presentations were made by students from eight universities, including The University of Tokyo and the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology.

In ginjo sake brewing process using brewer’s rice made in Hachioji City, a large amount of rice flour is produced as a by-product. Taking notice that this rice flour is not discarded, Maruta Seminar is conducting research to find effective ways to utilize it as biomass. The seminar has collaborated with local companies and sold various goods, including bread made with rice flour and chocolate brownies made 100% of rice flour. They are also addressing environmental plastic problems and food waste problems by developing a substitute material for plastic. Prototypes of “edible spoons” and “bioplastic” were made by utilizing the characteristics of the by-product rice flour starch. When these efforts were presented, Professor Hideshige Takada from the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, who took part in this event as an expert, commented as follows. “It is a wonderful approach that uses biological material.”

Ms. Kurosawa, who made the presentation as a representative of the seminar, spoke of her determination. “I have learned through the research that in order to effectively utilize the biomass (*) around us, whether or not we come up with ideas becomes important. I intend to not only collect information I have interest in but also take an interest in various things so that I can come up with new ideas.”

The implementation of this study contributes to the achievement of SDG2 “Zero Hunger,” SDG9 “Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure,” and SDG14 “Life Below Water.”

* Renewable organic resources that come from animals and plants, can be turned into energy and other materials.