“Upcycling” is the practice of adding new value to discarded materials through design and ideas while making use of the materials, thereby increasing their value over their original state. This is a keyword that is attracting particular attention because of the current demand for a shift from today’s mass production and mass consumption to a sustainable recycling society.

a publisher of the lifestyle information magazine Orange Page, Inc. conducted a survey in 2021 that showed 65.3% of respondents were “interested in upcycling products”, more than half of the respondents. The survey also revealed a trend that many people feel they would like to try upcycled products in everyday items that are familiar to them in their daily lives.

In this context, Nikko Company of Ishikawa Prefecture has developed “uptile dish,” tableware made from upcycled waste tiles produced in the manufacture of custom-made system baths, and announced that it will begin selling the product at its general store “Lost and Found Tokyo Store” in Tomigaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, from July 14, 2022. The company announced that it will start selling the product at its general store ” Lost and Found Tokyo Store ” in Tomigaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, on July 14, 2022.

Nikko Company was founded in 1908 as a manufacturer of western tableware. Today, in addition to the Ceramics Division, which was established in the company’s early days, the company operates the Water Creation Division, the Environmental Plant Division, the Functional Ceramic Products Division, and the BAINCOUTURE Division, which creates custom-made system bathrooms.

The newly released “uptile dish” is a new product from the Ceramics Division, which recycles surplus tiles from the production of “BAINCOUTURE,” a custom-made bathroom brand by the BAINCOUTURE Division, and tiles that were discarded as industrial waste after being stored for a certain period of time for repair, The tiles are recycled as tableware.

The BAINCOUTURE Division’s specialized processing technology to use limited resources without waste was utilized in the commercialization of the uptile dish, and its user-friendly size and stylish, sophisticated finish reflect the Ceramics Division’s commitment to “food” and know-how cultivated over many years of tableware production.

Furthermore, by managing waste materials, processing them into products, shipping, and selling them all in-house, the company is able to reduce energy consumption associated with recycling.

Nikko has been promoting initiatives in line with the principles of the “circular economy,” mainly in its ceramics and porcelain business, and the development of the uptile dish began when the company was seeking initiatives in other divisions in the course of promoting the circularization of its ceramics business. The development of the “uptile dish” began with the idea of using tiles discarded by the BAINCOUTURE Division as a resource rather than simply throwing them away.

More than 20 years have passed since the company’s BAINCOUTURE Division launched its made-to-order business, and to date, it has delivered approximately 10,000 bathrooms. In addition to general housing, the division has delivered many tiles to luxury hotel rooms and hotel renewal projects, and during the year from July 2021 to June 2022, approximately 100 tons of tiles were disposed of. Disposal costs amounted to more than 1 million yen.

Stone and soil, the raw materials for tiles, are depletable resources, and high-quality resources are already becoming increasingly difficult to obtain. Nikko will continue to work across business divisions to realize a circular economy in which limited resources are used and waste generation is minimized.

[Sales Stores]
LOST AND FOUND TOKYO STORE
Business hours: 11:00-19:00 *Closed: Tuesday
Address: 1-15-12 Tomigaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan / TEL: 03-5454-8925

[Product lineup]
Square 20cm square (200 x 200mm) / 990 yen (tax included)
Square 15 cm square (150 x 150 mm) / 770 yen (tax included)
Long square (100 x 60 mm) / 550 yen (tax included)

“Recycling” requires energy to re-create products back into raw materials, such as crushing, melting, and scrapping. Upcycling is a more sustainable way to reuse products. Nikko, which operates both bathroom and tableware businesses, has succeeded in reducing the environmental impact of its upcycled products by commercializing them in-house, eliminating the extra energy required for recycling.

The influence of tableware in restaurants is significant, from how the food is prepared to how it matches the taste and décor of the restaurant. By introducing upcycled products such as the upcycled tableware, it is possible to convey the restaurant’s attitude through its tableware.

For inquiries about uptile dish
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[Reference Site] The Corona Pandemic has changed my awareness of garbage! 　65.3% of those interested in “upcycling” echo the “mottainai spirit” of the Japanese!