Dialogue of Green Buyers - Ten Principles of the Green Consumer Movement 2001

Dialogue of Green Buyers - Ten Principles of the Green Consumer Movement 2001

Around 2001, the Basic Law for Establishing a Recycling-Oriented Society and the Green Purchasing Law were successively enforced in Japan, and awareness was growing that consumer behavior itself has the power to change society. The focus of attention was on "green consumers" who select and purchase environmentally friendly products and services. They sought to influence the direction of companies and markets through their lifestyles, and their existence attracted attention as a movement on the part of citizens to increase the effectiveness of environmental policies.

At the time, only a few percent of people in Japan were practicing this movement, and it was a long way from the German society, where the majority of the population chose environmentally friendly products. Nevertheless, support was growing, especially among the younger generation, and it was believed that the day would soon come when the percentage would exceed 10%. Behind this was criticism of public works projects after the bursting of the bubble economy and the need for global warming countermeasures to take root in Japan after the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol. The green consumer movement attracted social attention as a new value system to compensate for the lack of consumer education.

At the center of this movement were the "Ten Principles. Buy only what you need in the quantities you need, choose products that last longer, give preference to products without packaging, choose products that consume less resources and energy, choose products that have less environmental impact from chemicals, choose products that do not harm nature and biodiversity, be aware of local production for local consumption, and support products that guarantee a fair distribution, recycled products and systems, and choosing manufacturers and stores that disclose environmental information.

While it is difficult to satisfy all of these needs, the choices we make in our daily lives can accumulate to become a force for transforming society's values. The quiet choices made by consumers were also a silent dialogue that forced companies to "create sustainable products," and society was shifting its axis from a priority on economic growth to an emphasis on the environment. Thus, the green consumer movement took root in Japan at the beginning of the 21st century as a small revolution that began in the place of consumption.