Supermarkets in Japan, known for their 24/7 service and wide selection of fresh food, are facing scrutiny over their significant annual contribution of more than $2 billion in food waste.
Every year, these stores throw away huge amounts of edible food to ensure freshness for customers, resulting in significant economic and environmental costs, according to a report published by the BBC.
February 3, Setsubun, a Japanese holiday marking the transition to spring, is one of the biggest days for food waste.
Stores across Japan stock up on ehomaki sushi rolls, which end up in the garbage in droves by the end of the night. Volunteers surveyed 101 convenience stores and found astonishing amounts of unsold sushi rolls.
Romi Ide, an independent researcher and activist who coordinated the survey, concluded from the data that Japan’s 55,657 convenience stores disposed of approximately 947,121 ehomaki wraps on Setsubun Day, worth between 700 and 800 million yen (4.5 to 5 million yen). millions of dollars). Ed published these findings on Yahoo Japan to raise awareness about this issue.
The broader issue
Ehomaki sushi rolls have become a symbol of the larger problem of food waste in Japan.
Convenience stores, known for their reliable supplies of perishable items such as sushi, sandwiches and pre-prepared dinners, play an important role in this waste.
Many stores operate 24 hours a day, which contributes to the waste problem as unsold items are disposed of daily. “Behind convenience lies a huge amount of waste that consumers are unaware of,” Ed said.
In 2020, the Japan Fair Trade Commission estimated that supermarket chains in Japan throw away food worth an average of 4.68 million yen ($30,000) per store annually, representing a total annual loss of more than 260 billion yen ($1.7 billion). dollars), which may currently exceed two billion dollars.
Industry practices and consumer influence
Representatives from Lawson and 7Eleven, two major chains, declined to disclose their food waste data. The Family Mart chain indicates on its website that its stores produce 56,367 tons of food waste daily.
In 2019, Japan passed the Food Loss and Waste Law, to encourage companies to donate unexpired products to food banks. However, companies are often hesitant due to liability concerns.
