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"We created an eco-bag that is good for the environment just by using it."

Yotaro Koga, 4th year School of Education

Since June 2022, I have been participating in an eco bag production project in collaboration with Waseda University Co-op. This project was launched with the support of the Co-op as a way for students to plan their own eco-bags from scratch. There were three students in total, myself and two others, and I was mainly responsible for designing the logo and posters.

My reason for participating in this project was partly because I was invited by a senior in School of Law in the same student club, but the main reason was that I had doubts about how the world is tackling environmental issues. Around the time I entered university, things like plastic bags being charged and plastic straws being replaced with paper straws began to take place. I feel that although these efforts have helped raise people's awareness of environmental issues, they are still just short-sighted measures. I also felt that way. At that time, I didn't have much awareness or knowledge about environmental issues, but from this feeling that grew in my heart, I decided to participate in this eco bag production project, thinking that maybe I could do something about it. I decided.

A whiteboard from the initial discussion of the eco bag project. We have identified the problems of using plastic bags and what is important when making eco bags.

During the production process, we researched and discussed what kind of eco bags are currently being used in the world and why eco bags are effective for environmental conservation. There was an opinion that it was not good for the environment in the first place. So, what should I use to make an eco bag? At that time, a co-op employee introduced me to ISA, a brand from Jeans Kobo Ogata Ltd. in Kochi Prefecture.

Craftsmen at the factory use scraps to carefully sew the pieces.

This brand uses scraps left over from making jeans to make bags, wallets, and other items. We wanted to use sustainable materials for our eco bags, and thought that durable denim would be perfect for long-term use, so we communicated with representatives from Jeans Kobo Ogata via Zoom and email I set out to complete a bag made from scraps. In addition, when determining the detailed dimensions, we conducted a survey of Waseda University students, and based on the results, we added improvements that would be more user-friendly for students, such as making the handle longer and the base wider.

Photo left: Final preparations for posters, pop-ups, etc. for sale. With one of the project members, Nana Yamaguchi (photo left), a third-year School of Law, and Nakajima, a co-op employee (photo right).
Photo on the right: When we sold it at the 2023 Open Campus, it was very popular with students taking entrance exams. Currently sold at Waseda Campus Building No. Life Center and other co-op stores for ¥1,100 (tax included)

Until I took part in this project, I was embarrassed to say that I had never been very conscious of environmental issues. For this reason, I never dreamed that my life would be threatened by the negative impact on the natural environment, but as I became more keenly aware of environmental issues after participating in this project, I became more aware of the environment. I realized that my life and life are closely related.

We believe that this product will serve as an opportunity for people to become aware of the relationship between environmental issues and their surroundings. Even if you don't usually carry around an eco-bag, why not take advantage of this easy-to-use product that incorporates feedback from Waseda University students and think about the environment.

I was in charge of creating this poster and designing the bag's logo.