What is the Kuradashi Project?
Kuradashi is not just another marketplace—it’s a social good platform where shopping becomes a force for positive change. Imagine enjoying your everyday purchases while simultaneously helping society and the planet. That’s exactly what Kuradashi offers. By focusing on reducing food waste, this innovative e-commerce site turns what could be discarded into valuable products for consumers, all while supporting social contribution activities through a portion of every sale.
Main Benefits of Kuradashi
Kuradashi’s impact is impressive, and the numbers tell the story:
- Food waste reduction amount: 28,365 tons
- CO2 reduction amount: 75,195 tons
- Economic effect: 138 billion yen
- Total support amount: 163,012,869 yen
These figures highlight how Kuradashi is making a real dent in Japan’s food loss problem, all while creating economic value and supporting social causes.
Why Does Food Waste Occur?
Food waste happens for a bunch of reasons, many of which might surprise you. For starters, products with minor damage, slight imperfections, or packaging issues often get tossed out—even though their taste and quality are just fine. Then there’s the “one-third rule,” a commercial practice where the shelf life of a product is split into three parts. This means items get discarded way before they actually expire. And let’s not forget seasonal goodies like Ehomaki or Christmas cakes, which lose their market the moment the season ends, leading to heaps of waste.
How Shopping Can Make a Difference
Kuradashi flips the script on traditional shopping. Customers can snag everyday essentials or even luxurious ingredients at discounted prices. By choosing products nearing their expiration dates or those with minor defects, shoppers directly help cut down food waste. Plus, a portion of what they spend goes to social contribution activities. Buyers get to pick which causes to support—whether it’s environmental protection, overseas aid, animal welfare, or disaster relief. It’s a win-win situation.
Japan’s Food Waste Challenge
Japan faces a massive food waste problem—one of the biggest in the world, actually. Every year, a staggering 4.64 million tons of food go to waste. And get this: about half of that comes from households, the other half from businesses. To put it in perspective, it’s like every person in Japan throwing away a bowl of rice every single day. That’s a lot of food, and a huge opportunity for change.
Kuradashi’s Impact on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- SDG 13: Climate Action
- SDG 2: Zero Hunger
- SDG 15: Life on Land
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Why Kuradashi Stands Out
What makes Kuradashi truly unique is its blend of social impact and smart business. With a B Corp score of 110.1, it’s clear that this project isn’t just about profit—it’s about purpose. Based in Tokyo, Japan, Kuradashi leverages e-commerce to tackle food loss and waste head-on, turning a serious environmental and social issue into an opportunity for consumers to make a difference with every purchase. It’s a fresh, dynamic approach that’s changing how people think about food, waste, and shopping.
