7-Eleven Japan begins to implement new colorless food containers to reduce CO2 emissions

The new containers have already been rolled out at store locations in Japan’s northernmost prefecture Hokkaido.

Japanese convenience store giant 7-Eleven certainly seems to embrace change. From the recently installed floating hologram registers to a simple tactic for extending the shelf life of onigiri rice balls in an effort to reduce food waste, it seems like the chain is always near the front of the pack when it comes to integrating scientific and environmentally conscious practices into its brand.

According to reports, the latest change that 7-Eleven Japan is making is to alter the packaging of certain foods to reduce its carbon footprint. The new white or semi-transparent containers are made from reduced petroleum-based materials that are easy to recycle and will no longer use ink and other coloring agents which release added CO2 during the manufacturing process. The containers for approximately 60 original 7-Eleven fresh foods such as bento boxes, noodle dishes, and side dishes will be converted as part of the switch.

▼ Left image: Depictions of food containers before and after the change / Right image: A sample of a new semi-transparent container for cold soba noodles

セブン、弁当の容器を“無色”にしてCO2排出量削減 https://t.co/clkBPCTGF0 pic.twitter.com/sZGEbaTaaJ

— Impress Watch (@impress_watch) December 13, 2022

In fact, 7-Eleven began implementing the new containers at 997 stores in Hokkaido in early December. Simply by converting the containers sold on the northern island prefecture alone, officials estimate that 40 tons of CO2 emissions will be cut per year.

Net users were somewhat indifferent to the announcement, with a large subset commenting how they wish the chain would first go about eliminating the false bottoms found on many of their food containers instead. In any case, every little step to be more eco-friendly should be celebrated, including 7-Eleven’s convenience store rival Lawson encouraging its customers to use wooden chopsticks instead of plastic forks.

Source: Impress Watch via Otakomu
Top image: SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Credit: