Retailer of Used Goods Launches Mail-Order Business for Products with Eco-Action Points

Copyright Econos Co. (tentative image)

Econos Co., a Japanese retailer of used home appliances and used books based in Sapporo, launched a mail-order business for its members in July 2009. This business is called Econamise, which means "eco-friendly shop" in Japanese, and will only sell products and services which contribute to reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Japan's Ministry of the Environment (MOE) had chosen the business as one of the model projects of its Eco-Action Points program in FY2009, thus points are awarded for all of the products and services offered by the business.

Econamise was also chosen as one of the shops designated by MOE's Eco-Points program on July 1, 2009. Customers can exchange the Eco-Points they accumulate by purchasing eco-friendly home appliances with some of the goods in those shops. Eco-Points is different from Eco-Action Points. It is a point-giving program implemented for limited time for air conditioners, refrigerators and televisions for terrestrial digital broadcasting regarded as the national standard energy-saving label 4 or more and purchased after May 15, 2009.

If the people who buy eco-friendly home appliances use their Eco-Points to obtain Econamise's items in the limited period and register as an Eco-Action Points member, they can also get Eco-Action Points promoted by MOE. Eco-Action members not only see the amount reduced CO2 emissions that result from using the item they purchased, but save Eco-Action points to their personal account in the nationwide management system conducted by the JCB, a leading Japanese credit card company. They can use the saved points again when they want to buy eco-friendly products in the stores participating in the system.

The full-scale launch of Eco-Action Points is scheduled to start in October 2009 after items are in stock. Getting orders by the Internet from all over Japan, Econamise expects to issue 53 million yen worth of Eco-Action Points (equivalent to U.S.$588,000) and reduce emissions of CO2 by 1,130 tons in FY2013.

Japan's Environment Ministry Selects Projects for Eco-Action Points Program (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/027112.html
Environment Ministry to Give Eco-Points to Energy-Saving Contributors (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/026923.html

Posted: 2009/10/13 06:00:15 AM