The Ainomachi Eco Club, a Japanese non-profit organization (NPO), was established in 2004 in Higashiomi City, Shiga Prefecture to help create a recycling-based community. Its purpose is to encourage the broad participation of residents and to enhance cooperation among residents, the local government and other players.

A small campaign was launched by local residents in this city in May 1977, when red tides (abnormal growth of a toxic type of plankton caused by pollutants in the water) occurred in Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan. The organizers started encouraging people to use phosphate-free soap, made from waste cooking oil instead of synthetic detergents. This initiative has now grown to a full-fledged project involving communities and industries, under the title of "Nanohana Project" (rapeseed flower project), which involves the growing of rapeseed, production of cooking oil, and recycling of used oil into biodiesel fuel.

As part of its mission, the Ainomachi Eco Club is promoting the "Nanohana Project" to help create a citizen-initiated sustainable community model. The NPO's activities are based in "Nanohana Kan," a building facility for environmental activities commissioned by Higashiomi City.

The NPO carries out a wide range of activities, including the collection of used cooking oil; recycling of used oil into soap and alternative diesel fuel; cultivation of rapeseed on former rice paddies; environmental education; promotion of rapeseed flower-viewing as a tourist attraction; and campaign to promote local consumption of local products. In addition, the NPO engages in community-led activities that focus on water, rice paddies, farmland and "satoyama" woodlands. Thanks to these efforts, Higashiomi City has become one of about 150 model sustainable communities in Japan.


- Japan to More Than Double Biodiesel Fuel Production in 4 Years (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/db/1457-e
- Test-Run Begins for Wood Biomass Power Generation Facilities in Shiga (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/db/1567-e

Posted: 2007/05/01 09:40:42 AM
Japanese version

TAG Energy , NGO/Citizen