Engineers Unleash the Power of Kenaf

Thursday began with an hour train commute to the town of Tsukuba, research headquarters for NEC Japan. For those that don’t know, NEC is a bigger name in electronics for Japanese than even Sony.



We were there to meet Dr. Iji, principal engineer in eco-materials.



Iji-san has spent almost a decade perfecting bio-based polymers to be more durable, heat-resistant and – most importantly – non-toxic.

From what we saw, mission accomplished: NEC’s bioplastic is the most environmentally sound in the world – thanks to mixing the 4,000 year old kenaf plant with corn-based PLA plastic.



Previously used for paper and feedstock, Australian kenaf growers are capitalizing on this latest application.



With 90% of the casings of cell phones and soon-to-be PC’s consisting of bio-materials, these are products that can be composted, recycled or incinerated without the messy byproducts. Iji-san has even perfected a non-toxic flame retardant – necessary for any electronic equipment.



They also showed us another bio-based plastic…with memory. Future products will blow your mind but you’ll have to wait for the documentary to see for yourself. After all, some things aren’t for free.



That said, NEC is definitely a leader in research and development of bio-based materials and we commend their excellent work.



Just looking into the wide eyes of Iji-san’s young lab assistants, I know that dedicated people are working hard towards making bioplastic a real alternative to petroleum plastics.



Thanks to Diane for the access and Iji-san for opening up his lab to the Great White North plastic hunters. The future indeed looks bright.



Out.

G+I

ps - check this out!

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

Land of the Rising Vending Machines

Saturday began around 9am with more than 24 hours of travel waiting for us. After driving north to Frankfurt, we found the plane that would take us on the 11 hour flight to Tokyo.







We arrived in Tokyo Sunday afternoon to a hot and muggy day. Customs weren’t a problem but finding a train to take us to our hotel would require much hand gesturing.



The hour long train ride was worth it though as we crossed enormous areas of rice paddies quickly changing to urban growth and then back to rice paddies…it was difficult to spot one area of land not being used for some purpose.



For the Land of the Rising Sun, it sure gets dark early. By the time we had checked in and showered, it was 7 o’clock and pitch black. Wary to venture out into the neon skyline, Cryptic Moth decided to grab some local food at the rooftop restaurant, featuring local cuisine like sushi.



This was to be Gad’s first – and most likely last – sushi experience as you can see in the movie below.

Gad%20vs%20Sushi.wmv

Gad spent most of the night vomiting. Maybe it was the sushi or maybe being on the other side of the world in a new and strange reality with no language skills rides heavy on the stomach?

After a much needed sleep, we decided to venture to Roppongi, a district of high-end shops and late-night bars.



Almost everyone we met told us to go there…only they didn’t tell us to go at night. So we walked around for a while, dodging businessmen and schoolgirls before deciding to brave the subway system back to the hotel.



How proud were we when we arrived at our station? Very.



Still jet-lagged, Cryptic Moth packed it in early. Tomorrow we will visit Sony headquarters to see how the electronic giant is using bioplastic in their packaging and more!

Out.

G+I