Launch of the ‘mymizu Challenge’: a service to help companies and organisations take action on plastic waste and the SDGs!
Tokyo, Japan, Release: 1st December 2020. For Immediate Release.
The creators of the award-winning mymizu platform officially launched the ‘mymizu Challenge’ - an initiative to enable companies, educational institutions and other organisations to make a tangible environmental impact while teambuilding and engaging in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The ‘mymizu Challenge’ involves making teams within organisations to engage in a friendly competition to reduce as many single-use plastic bottles as possible. Every time a team member saves a plastic bottle, they track it through the app, and a customised dashboard shows their team’s progress in comparison to others and visualizes the environmental impact of the team’s actions. After a designated period of time (e.g. one month), the team that saved the most bottles is crowned the winner of the challenge!
To ensure a greater understanding of the SDGs and sustainability, as well as to encourage high numbers of participants, the mymizu Challenge package also includes interactive workshops, lectures and onboarding for the participants.
In October 2020, the inaugural mymizu Challenge was held in collaboration with LIXIL - the Japan-based global maker of pioneering water and housing products, on the occasion of the company’s annual employee engagement event focused on Corporate Responsibility, LIXIL Community Day.
More than 2,600 people across the company’s teams in Japan and abroad competed in a 30-day challenge, saving 34,000 PET bottles - equal to the height of two Mount Fujis.
“For this year’s LIXIL Community Day, we wanted the teams to be able to participate in an eye-opening experience and one that would be engaging despite the restrictions caused by the coronavirus health crisis. Taking part in the mymizu Challenge was just that: an innovative and enjoyable way to strengthen our employees understanding of and engagement with sustainability and the SDGs. As LIXIL is strengthening its commitment to tackling plastic reduction in our own operations, the campaign has contributed to bolstering awareness and a mindset shift within the company”, commented John Short, Leader, Communications & Corporate Responsibility.
For LIXIL employees, the activity contributed to team-building efforts, led members to implement long-term change in their behaviors, and was overall met with highly positive feedback.
“I’ve gotten used to using my own water bottle, instead of buying PET bottles. Now I am thinking about how I can reduce plastic use in general. I’ve started using beeswax wrap for example! I have seen this change in team members too, who have become more aware of plastic waste. Many of them intend to continue the good habits formed during the Challenge.” said one LIXIL member.
Another one shared that, “it was actually a small effort to make, but we saw the number grow every day and realized that small steps have the potential to scale up for meaningful change.”
How to Get Involved
The mymizu Challenge is available to companies, schools, universities or other organisations looking to deepen their members’ understanding of sustainability or SDGs-related issues and moreover, to engage them in the topic in a fun way, while also visualizing their impact.
The challenge can be taken fully remotely, making it a viable tool for organisations looking to take action during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information, please visit the mymizu Challenge website here or contact us via the details below.
About mymizu
mymizu is a platform connecting people to 7,000+ free water refill stations (water fountains and partner cafes, shops, hotels) across Japan and 200,000 globally. Using mymizu, it’s possible to refill your water bottle anywhere – it’s good for the planet, the body and the wallet! Since launching in September 2019, the mymizu app has gained users across 40 countries and, since launching its refill tracker feature in early 2020, has tracked the reduction of over 100,000 PET bottles and over 26.5 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
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The mymizu app is internationally available for download on iOS and Android.
For information on mymizu: Visit mymizu.co to find out more and to download the app. mymizu is borne out of Social Innovation Japan, a registered non-profit organisation with a mission to activate greater social innovation in and out of Japan.
For media or partnership enquiries please contact Reiko Suzuki: media@mymizu.co
一般社団法人Social Innovation Japan
〒151-0062 Tokyo, Shibuya-ku, Motoyoyogicho, 4-5-3C
Phone: +81+80-3470-8859