A Walkman You Can Compost

Cryptic Moth conducted its first Japan interview inside the headquarters of electronics behemoth, Sony.





That’s right, we got a front row seat into how biodegradable plastic is being used in their packaging as well as electronic devices like cell phones, DVD covers and this very tricked-out Walkman.



The entire housing is made from corn-based PLA polymers, 60% of the total material. We spoke with Sony’s material engineers about their work with PLA (dates back to the early 90’s) and how consumers are reacting.



Sony was clear to mention that these vegetable-based plastics will not melt in the sun or dissolve in the rain.



Much engineering has gone into these materials and are starting to include such things as flame retardants. The biggest benefits to using these materials are less CO2, less dependency on oil and easier recycling.

We then visited Sony’s Eco Plaza, located on the main floor.



A tour guide showed us examples of sustainable packaging and awesome recovery programs like recycling DVD’s into ABS plastic or breaking down Styrofoam with nothing more than orange peel juice.



This neat recycling technique allows Sony to re-use the styrene for cassette covers, pens, you name it.

It may sound like baby steps but considering the size and influence of this company, how could their actions not impact nor trickle down to other manufacturers. And with local headlines reporting on companies like Mazda and Toyota also pushing the benefits of bioplastic, it appears to be working. On Thursday we will visit NEC, who is making 90% bioplastic cell phones from kenaf plants grown in Australia.



After 5 hours with Sony, and still in a techno-geeky mood, Cryptic Moth took a stroll through Electric Town



Akihabara as it is known – where streets are lined with neon-pulsing megaphone-thumping storefronts hawking everything from air conditioners to miniature laptops. Needless to say, Gad was in heaven.



The following day was filled with more scenic shooting in a part of Tokyo called Asakusa. This is where many Buddhist Temples and Shinto Shrines nestle between towering apartment buildings.



We even came across this stunning graveyard, which we were allowed to enter and film at will. True serendipity.




We capped the day off by experimenting with time-lapsed sequences of the vehicular and pedestrian traffic outside Shinagawa station – what appears to be the Grand Central of Tokyo – until the sun dipped well beyond the horizon.



Out.

G+I