GreenBusiness

A Handful of Highlights from the 2009 Eco-Products Exhibition

By JoanDec 22nd, 2009

ecoproducts-2009

The world’s largest eco-products event, the Eco-Products Exhibition is in its eleventh year at Tokyo Big Sight and features a wide variety of organizations that in some form or fashion are doing environmental work. The most disappointing thing for me about the 2009 Eco-Product Exhibition is that I was only able to attend for one day. As one of the 180,000 guests for this year trying to see more than 700 booths was, to say the least, a bit tricky. But the time was well worth it, and my calendar for next year is already marked!

Exhibitors ranged from companies like Sharp showcasing their solar-powered bicycle sheds and electric-assist bicycles and Ito En sampling products made with their recycled tea leaves to Hyozaemon’s chopsticks made from recycled baseball bats. Non-profits and local government representatives were also on hand to share information about a variety of innovative programs and projects. While it’s impossible (or at least not very practical) to list every exhibitor present, a complete list can be found at Eco-Products 2009. (Thankfully, there is also a list searchable by name or category so you can easily find your favorite organization or better yet, a new favorite!)

Here are some highlights from my first visit:

Misty Garden Humidifiers – While perhaps a little artsy and frilly these humidifiers offer an easy, electric-free way to humidify the air at the home or office.

Misty Garden Humidifiers at the 2009 Eco-Products Exhibition

Misty Garden Humidifiers at the 2009 Eco-Products Exhibition

KOGA Ecological Club from Kokugakuin University – Touting wares  - miso, yuzo, mikons, dried peppers, adzuki beans, and daffodils – from a small shiraku where members of the club help farmers with large and small projects alike.

Members of Kokugakuin University's KOGA group pose with local produce they helped grow and harvest.
Members of Kokugakuin University’s KOGA group pose with local produce they helped grow and harvest.

Toto Low Flow Toilet - Let’s face it. Everybody poops. And low-flow toilets seem a logical choice if one isn’t going to go for the composting variety. This one uses 4.8 liters of water per flush rather than the usual 13 liters. Have a seat!

The Toto Low Flow Toilet at the 2009 Eco-Products Exhibition uses only 4.8 liters.
The Toto Low Flow Toilet at the 2009 Eco-Products Exhibition uses only 4.8 liters.

Yamoto Creation – Made of up to 60% recycled materials – everything from cloth scraps to rice hulls to pruned tree branches – biomass mannequins are maybe a bit more about novelty than ecology, but they drew me in like a magnet.

The Biomass Mannequins from Yamamoto Mannequins at the 2009 Eco-Products Exhibition.
The Biomass Mannequins from Yamato Creation at the 2009 Eco-Products Exhibition.

Earth Day Market – A recreation of the larger monthly market in Yoyogi Park, about 15 stalls enticed people with beautiful vegetables, incredibly tasty sake, soy beans, and rice.

Three farmers who work together to produce great local food and educate people about organic farming.
Three farmers who work together to produce great local food and educate people about organic farming.

While the array of things to see and learn about was nothing if not overwhelming, it was also heartening to see so much effort and so much interest in the efforts to find sustainable ways to live and work together. From organic produce to a geothermal-solar heating system, the Eco-Products Exhibition showcases hope and possibility, too. That’s worth a visit all by itself.

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