【Haichuan: Insights from Other Places】Eating food to the last drop – take a look at these environmental-friendly innovations from Japanese companies

Founded in 1841, Toyoshima Company is headquartered in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, and is a well-known textile trading company in Japan’s industry. Textiles rely on fabric dyeing, and chemical dyeing techniques are generally used for this purpose. Foods themselves contain a wide range of colors; could dyes be extracted from waste food to be used for dyeing fabrics? With this idea in mind, Toyoshima Company, starting in 2016, joined forces with various food companies and others to launch a project called “FOOD TEXTILE,” introducing a new trend of sustainability and fashion across different industries. 　　“The “FOOD TEXTILE” project was carried out by Toyoshima Company in collaboration with about 10 food companies. Many of these companies had fruits, vegetables, or waste materials from such products that could not be sold on the market. They supplied tomatoes, onion skins, purple cabbage, and other discarded fruits and vegetables to Toyoshima Company, which then worked together with specialized dye manufacturers to extract dyes from these waste materials for use in dyeing fabrics. Their related dye extraction technologies have been patented in many parts of the world. 　　To date, they have used around 50 different types of waste fruits and vegetables, as well as things such as coffee grounds from coffee shops and cherry blossom petals, as raw materials to extract approximately 500 different dyes. To prevent the fabric from fading, they add at least about 10% chemical dyes during the dyeing process, and downstream companies then develop various products from these textiles and bring them to market. 　　In Tochima Company’s sample room, there are a variety of products such as T-shirts, slippers, cloth bags, ties, and more. These eco-friendly products are costly and have high prices, but they are very popular among consumers, and more and more companies are expressing their desire to cooperate with them.

Aizikou Company, located in Handa City, Aichi Prefecture, is also a well-known Japanese company with a century-long history; it was founded in 1804 and is now one of Japan’s leading seasoning manufacturers. One of this company’s proposals for an eco-friendly eating lifestyle is to eat food \"until it’s all gone\". In March this year, Weizikang launched a new brand named “ZENB” (Chinese: all), creating a series of foods that can be eaten in their entirety. 　　For example, corn and corn cobs, beets and beet skins, peas and pea pods; usually we only eat the edible parts of these foods, while the skins and cores are discarded as waste. Research conducted by Weizikang Company has found that, in fact, the discarded parts of these foods contain higher levels of certain nutrients. For example, the fiber content in every 100 grams of corn cobs is 15.3 grams, which is about 3 times that of corn kernels. The fiber content in edamame pods is also about twice that of edamame. 　　Weizikang Company conducted relevant research; by using a special grinding technique to process these foods whole, including the skin and flesh, and then adding appropriate ingredients such as oil and salt, it developed jam-like products and chocolate bars. Currently, there are 6 such products available, made from corn, beetroot, peas, edamame, sweet peppers, and carrots. However, the prices of these products are still relatively high at present; for example, a corn snack bar costs 300 yen (about 19 yuan), which is roughly twice the price of similar chocolate bars on the market. Wiseco Company currently sells its products only through its own website, and it plans to expand the range of foods it offers in the future.

In Hamanaka City, Aichi Prefecture, there is a company named Marubun Seikaku that specializes in food packaging. One of the star products of Maruban in the field of fruit production is the \"edible containers\" they have developed. Disposable meal plates are widely used at present, but after being used they are discarded as waste, placing a heavy burden on the environment. Marufun Fruit Manufacturing Company used to produce ice cream cones, and inspired by this, they developed edible containers that they named “E-TRAY”, meaning “environment-friendly tray”. 　　“The main ingredient used in “E-TRAY” is potato starch; during the heating process in the mold, the surface of the tray becomes hard and water-resistant, while the inner layer remains softer. Such trays can remain intact for over an hour even when filled with water, without softening or leaking. It can be used to hold curry rice, ramen, shaved ice, and even soups. 　　In addition, they have also developed edible chopsticks that can be used with edible trays; after eating, people can consume both the chopsticks and the tray, leaving no waste at all. In addition, they also plan to introduce edible soup spoons. Last year, the sales volume of related products was around 5 million yen (approximately 320,000 yuan), and sales are expected to double this year.

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The question is, can edible containers still not be placed directly on the dining table?

I’m not sure about this; can it be washed with water if it gets dirty?