Japan, a country synonymous with technological breakthroughs and state of the art robotics, has also been renowned for its traditional values and historic culture that spans for centuries. The nation has also been known for its constant efforts to spearhead the movement to conserve and environment and Japan has proven itself once again in this endeavor as its Minister of Environment, Ms Yuriko Koike has now unveiled an all new traditional alternative to plastic bags, in the form of ‘Mottainai Furoshiki’ .
This incredible new fabric has been designed and developed from a fiber that has been created by recycling PET bottles and the Furoshiki comes with a traditional birds-and-flowers motif, that was sketched by Itoh Jakuchu, who was famous for his artistic work from the mid Edo era. The Mottainai Furoshiki was unveiled to the world at the Senior Officials Meeting on the 3R Initiative held in Tokyo in the year 2006. This phenomenal new wrapping cloth has been created on the 3Rs of conserving the environment including, Reduce, Recycle and Reuse.
According to Japanese Ministry of Environment,
“The furoshiki is so handy that you can wrap almost anything in it regardless of size or shape with a little ingenuity by simply folding it in a right way. It’s much better than plastic bags you receive at supermarkets or wrapping paper, since it’s highly resistant, reusable and multipurpose. In fact, it’s one of the symbols of traditional Japanese culture, and puts an accent on taking care of things and avoiding wastes.”
