According to the Japanese newspaper Kanagawa Shimbun on the 25th, a vending machine in the form of a locker has been installed at Kanai Station in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, which sells bread whose expiration date is imminent since the 18th of last month. The vending machine was installed in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is operated by Yokohama City along with local bakeries and locker companies. Local bakeries sell their businesses one hour earlier on weekdays and fill the remaining bread and salt bread in the vending machine by 8 p.m. These breads are products made within 48 hours of their own making, and if they are not sold on the same day, they will be discarded in stores.
“We throw away about two 75-liter garbage bags a day in summer,” a bakery source said. “We hope that we can find a work-life balance by leaving work an hour earlier while reducing food waste.” Products not sold at the vending machine will be discarded when bread is restocked the next day. The vending machine sells bread at a 30 percent discounted price from stores, including 300 yen, 500 yen, 600 yen, and 1,000 yen. Currently, people only need cash to use the vending machine, but the company plans to introduce a cash-free payment method later. According to media, breads at vending machines are so popular that they are sold out every day. People who want to buy bread line up in front of the vending machine from 7 p.m.
An office worker in his 50s who bought bread from a vending machine said, “That’s a great idea. I bought it as a trial and it was really good.” Another office worker also said, “I bought it mainly at stores, but it’s good because the discount is good and the taste remains the same.” A city official evaluated it as a perfect idea for the “Sustainable Development Goals,” and expected that it would reduce 1.2 tons of food waste per year.
The bakery responded with embarrassment to the support of citizens. The bakery said it was happy to sell bread that had to be discarded, but it was surprising because the popularity of discarded bread was higher than expected.
SALLY LEE
US ASIA JOURNAL
