UCC Coffee Professional and Hakuten Corporation collaborated to realize their goal of a sustainable event at UCC Smile Festa 2023, an exhibition and business trade fair held by UCC throughout Japan.
This time, we covered the Tokyo event, which was held at the Tokyo Ryutsu Center from March 28 to 29.
What is UCC Smile Festa?
UCC Smile Festa is an exhibition of coffee and food products for professional use, mainly targeting attendees from the food and beverage industry.
The UCC Group and approximately 80 manufacturers of ingredients, beverages, sales promotion materials, and other items that support cafe operation exhibited both in-person and online, offering hints on how to become the “Restaurant of Choice”.
At the venue, UCC’s products were showcased in 2 main areas, UCC’s Creation and UCC’s Sustainability.
UCC’s Creation Area
“Upping” Area: Proposal of initiatives aimed at upping the unit price per customer and increasing value. Attendees experienced a menu arranged using coffee and tea, as well as blended products created with UCC’s special attention to detail.
“Basic Update” Area: Showcase of machines capable of speedy serving, private brand coffee and food products popular with a wide range of customers, and other products to solidify restaurants’ foundations.
“Approaches that Resonate with Different Generations” Area: Proposal of items and menus that resonate with every generation, including sweets made with professionally cultivated coffee, coffee and sweets pairings, and beverages that address the health concerns of each generation.
UCC’s Sustainability Area
At the UCC’s Sustainability Area, the process from cultivation to a cup of coffee was divided into 7 categories, and UCC’s integrated sustainability measures from farm to cafe were showcased.
In addition, initiatives were proposed that restaurants can start right away, such as sustainable products for regular coffee, eco-drip without use of paper, and drink menus that use milk alternatives.
Sustainability Initiatives (SDGs)
Another highlight of the exhibition was the various initiatives towards the implementation of sustainable events.
Based on the data from last year’s UCC Smile Festa 2022, UCC further strengthened its efforts this year, aiming for a 10% reduction in both CO2 emissions and garbage and working towards a goal of zero waste.
- Exhibition Booth Construction
Goal: Reduction in waste from wooden decorations by 10% from 2022 levels
87% of the event’s decorations were made of reused materials, which was up 12% from the previous year, and generated waste was disposed of by using it as a heat source.
Since many of the materials used for the 2022 event were thermally recycled, this year, materials that can be chemically recycled were actively selected.
- Exhibition Lighting / Distributed Materials
For exhibits, LED lighting was introduced due to its lower power consumption and longer lifespan.
In addition, QR codes were used on information leaflets and other materials in order to promote digitalization and reduce paper usage.
- Reduction of Food Loss
Goal: Reduction of emissions from food waste by 10% from 2022 levels
<Preparatory Stages>
Prevention of excess of food tasting samples by monitoring the number of attendees at different times of the day and sharing this information with exhibiting companies
<Initiatives During the Event>
- Promotion of tastings via product study sessions for employees
- Establishment of an area where excess food can be shared among exhibitors
- Waste Disposal
Goal: Reduction in garbage generated at venues by 10% from 2022 levels
Focus on improving the rate of recycling in addition to reducing the amount of garbage generated. Proper separation of garbage was also promoted.
- Removal of Plastic
Goal: Reduction of one-way plastic by 10% from 2022 levels
Serving of drinks in paper cups whenever possible. Environmentally friendly plastic cups were also used. Trays, forks, and spoons used for tastings were switched to paper or wood whenever possible, after confirming their compatibility with the food to be tasted.
- Measurement of CO2 Emissions
CO2 emissions will be calculated and recorded for use in reduction efforts at future events.
- Emissions from electricity used at venues
- Organizer truck emissions (transport of martials, goods, and decorations)
- Emissions from travel and lodging of organizer office personnel
2022 Measurement Data
Total 26.98t CO2
Equivalent to 1,927 cedar trees (based on the amount of CO2 absorbed by an 80-year-old cedar tree in one year)
- Generation of Reports
After the exhibition, an environmental impact report was posted online and shared with stakeholders. Continuous efforts will be made to reduce environmental impact from the next event onward.
- Co-creation with exhibit manufacturers
The theme of this year’s trade fair was “Make new value together through co-creation; continue to change for the future.”
- In order to have exhibit manufacturers cooperate with sustainability initiatives, an online exhibitor briefing was held in advance of the show to share policies and goals.
- A “Waste Not Want Not Corner” was implemented so that excess food could be shared, and measures to reduce food loss as much as possible were also put in place.
- Exhibitors’ names were written on their trash bags to encourage garbage separation, and exhibitors who cooperated in a resource-recycling event received recognition in order to further promote participation.
Hakuten Corporation developed and is operating an internal policy on event sustainability in response to the growing needs of corporations and local governments regarding environmental protection.
Furthrmore, the company has been promoting community activities featuring sustainable brands since 2015 through media and events such as the Sustainable Brands Exhibition.
In a survey conducted at the exhibit manufacturers meeting, approximately 95% of companies responded that they understood and empathized with the sustainability initiatives.
