Zero-Waste, to-go Green Tea for Commuters in Japan
Tea is a way of life in Japan. Japanese tea ceremony is very well organized and a meaningful event. Japanese Matcha, Gyokuro, Sencha, Houjicha etc are always a treat to sip. Surprisingly, Japan is also the No 1 Ready to Drink (RTD) tea market in the world. Convenience factor plays a vital role in modern day marketing. No exception in Japan as well. Maintaining the originality of tea is in deed a challenge when catering convenience conscious consumers. As INHABITAT had reported, Mirume Dark Green Teahouse is well known as the Green Tea Café. It’s situated in Nagoya, the third largest city in Japan located in the heart of the morning work commute path of many. Mirume Dark Green Teahouse offers a line of zero-waste products meant to honor the tradition of enjoying famous Japanese green tea while catering to today’s busy lifestyle. Therefore, in addition to “to-go” tea bags, loose leaf and powdered options, the café is open four mornings every week for curbside green tea pickup.
Customers buy a bottle which is pre-packed with loose leaf green tea. They can sip the tea at the office. Each bottle can be used three times for full-flavored green tea. At that point, customers return the bottle to the stand and get a new one.
The aim is to serve members of the younger generation who are losing the tradition of morning tea due to their busy life style. The flagship service, Asa Bottle (meaning morning green tea), offers a grab-and-go alternative to the more time-consuming authentic water drip method. Here, there is no waste produced (Zero-Waste). Skipping the wasteful cups and single-use plastic bottles saves costs and avoids pollution. Even users don’t need to wash the bottles.
Mirume doesn’t charge a bottle deposit yet reports a 100% return rate. It credits culture and convenience for the perfect return rate, as the company has made it easy for customers to drop the bottle into a return bin on the commute home. In a release, the company said, “It can be said this is a unique product and service that can work only in Japan.”
This cafe was initiated in 2013 but saw the opportunity to revamp the space and add the additional morning service during the COVID 19 pandemic. Design firm Kenma developed the store design for the café, that is run by Japan’s top award-winning tea producer. The process provides a close replication of green tea brewed in a kyusu, that is a traditional Japanese tea pot.
This Zero-Waste concept is a great example for other countries as well. This kind of sustainable ventures must be highly appreciated.
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