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Policy

Policy on Circulation of Natural Resources

Under the thought that JINS, as a manufacturer of eyewear using a large volume of plastic as a material, must take the lead in the industry for switching to plastic-free and sustainable materials, it will promote shifting to zero waste products and 100% recyclable eyewear with goals for 2050 to realize resource circulation across the entire supply chain from procurement of raw materials to production, distribution, sales and disposal/collection. Also, the medium-term goals for 2030 include making 50% of eyewear sold from sustainable materials, recycling 100% of demo lenses and reducing various waste and JINS will make efforts to save resources further by researching and developing sustainable eyewear, switching raw materials and reducing waste as much as possible.

Medium-term Goals for 2030 and Progress

Switching to Eyewear Made from Sustainable Materials

By 2030, JINS aims to have 50% of eyewear sold to be made from sustainable materials. To this end, we will develop and deploy new eyewear based on two major material conversions.
One is the planning and production of recyclable eyewear, which we are working on with JEPLAN, INC., aiming to turn eyewear that has been disposed of in the past into a complete circulation system of production, sales, collection, and reproduction. Another is the utilization of biomaterials. By promoting the use of biomaterials in new products and the replacement of materials for existing products, we will strive to create environmentally friendly and sustainable eyewear.

Recycling of Demo Lenses

In order to prevent frames from losing their shapes, plastic lenses called “demo lenses” are fit into eyewear during production. However, since these lenses are disposed of in exchange for real lenses when sold to customers, they have become a major source of waste in eyewear sales. Therefore, JINS has established a goal of 100% recycling for demo lenses by 2030, and as of the year ended 2022, we are experimenting and verifying materials to achieve this goal.

Reducing Various Waste and Recycling

JINS makes efforts to reduce waste with goals for 2050 to realize resource circulation across the entire supply chain. As a milestone, we aim to achieve a 30% reduction in waste generated from the operations of the head office and each store by 2030. In addition, we have already achieved a 30% recycling ratio of fixtures when renovating stores and a 100% recycling rate (resource recovery) for logistics packaging materials, which were goals for 2030.

Initiatives to Achieve Goals

Green Bond Investment in JEPLAN, INC.

JEPLAN, INC. has been working to realize a circular society through activities that connect companies and consumers who want to recycle, the development and manufacture of recycled fibers, and recycling consulting since its establishment in 2007. JINS has joined the Bring Pla-Plus Project run by JEPLAN, INC. with the cooperation of the Ministry of the Environment since its year of inception 2012, and worked on recycling unneeded old plastic eyewears into energy sources. In January 2020, we acquired common stock of JEPLAN, INC. via a capital increase through a third-party share issuance. We have taken this opportunity to promote eyewear recycling activities.

Details

Production of Recyclable Eyewear Products

In May 2021, as the first step in our recyclable eyewear initiatives for 2050, we launched a new line of classic and refined design frames from our sunglasses brand JINS&SUN, using highly biodegradable bioplastic materials.
These products use M49, a plant-based bioplastic that has a higher degree of biodegradation by microorganisms than ordinary plastics. M49 was developed by long-established Italian eyewear materials manufacturer Mazzucchelli 1849 S.p.A., which has fans all over the world for producing high quality and beautiful materials, and it is a high-quality material that is not only environmentally friendly but also aesthetically pleasing with its beautiful luster, transparency, pleasant touch, and smooth surface.
While combining these environmental considerations with quality, we have set prices that are accessible by customers of all ages. To ensure that our customers can use our products for a long time, we have adopted a special structure that can be maintained and used for a long time, and a classic and timeless design.

As the sixth product in the JINS Design Project, “HILO JINS x Patricia Urquiola” was developed in collaboration with Patricia Urquiola, a Milan-based designer who is active worldwide, as a sustainable product based on the concept of “HILO,” meaning “thread.” After more than a year of practical application testing, “Rilsan® Clear G850 Rnew®” by Arkema K.K., which contains castor oil obtained from castor seeds, a non-edible crop, is used as the material. Without making the trade-off between aesthetics and strength, which is one of the challenges for sustainable products, this collection combines durability and flexibility while achieving Patricia’s signature beauty of color.

Collection of Unneeded Glasses and Recycling
BRING PLA-PLUS Project

As a company with the highest sales volume for eyewear in Japan, JINS is addressing with the eyewear recycling program. JINS has joined the BRING PLA-PLUS Project run by JEPLAN, INC. since its year of inception 2012, and worked on recycling unneeded old plastic glasses into energy sources. Also, JINS formed a capital alliance with JEPLAN, INC. in 2020. From now on, JINS will further utilize the technological capabilities and knowledge of both companies to promote eyewear sustainability by working toward eyewear recycling campaigns and manufacturing of circulating recycled eyewear.

Details

Shift to Recycled Paper Shopping Bags

JINS had been using shopping bags with maximum consideration for the environment, which have obtained a total of seven environmental certifications; however, in order to use shopping bags only for customers who need them and to make effective use of resources, all stores have started charging for them (with some exceptions). Furthermore, revenue from shopping bags is used in the “Play More Outdoors Project” as a means of giving back to the creation of a sustainable society.

Shift to Recycled Paper Eyeglasses Cases

As a company with the highest sales volume for eyewear in Japan, JINS is striving to introduce eyeglasses cases with low environmental burdens. We are increasing eco-friendly initiatives such as developing eyeglasses cases that utilize recycled paper and providing them as accessories with some products.

Conversion to Eco-Friendly Eyeglass Cloth

JINS will gradually switch to the use of eco-friendly materials in its eyeglass cloth, which are provided free of charge to customers who purchase its products, starting in August 2022. Conventional eyeglass cloth materials were made from 100% petroleum-derived raw materials. While maintaining its superior cleaning performance, eco-friendly eyeglass cloth uses approximately 60% recycled fiber made from clean plastic bottles collected and sorted by local governments and stores in Japan. In addition, the newly introduced eco-friendly eyeglass cloth is not dyed, but uses fabrics that retain the color of the original material. This is expected to reduce the amount of water resources used for conventional dyeing by approximately 1,200 tons per year.

Store Staff Uniforms Made of Recyclable Materials

In July 2022, JINS renewed the uniforms of store staff and is using uniforms made of recyclable materials at all stores in Japan. For the spring/summer shirts, original fabrics with excellent water absorbency and quick-drying properties that are comfortable to wear and wrinkle-resistant are produced by using threads made from chemically recycled used PET bottles for the warp and regular polyester threads with water absorbency and quick-drying properties for the weft. Although the material used is 100% polyester, 54% of it is recycled material, achieving both functionality and environmental friendliness. The uniforms that are no longer worn are separated by material and parts and reused as recycled polyester, automobile interior materials, and plastics recycled by the coke oven chemical feedstock method. Also, All old uniforms are being collected and recycled, and thorough efforts will be made to recycle natural resources.

Reduce Waste by Introducing an AI-Based Future-Proof Management System

In order to reduce product shortages and waste due to excess inventory, we have been operating a future-proof management system using the “AI Powered Management Cockpit,” an AI-based management decision support solution provided by Accenture Japan Ltd, since February 2022. In the trial operation of over a little more than a year, it was confirmed that sales losses (missed sales) due to product shortages were reduced by approximately 65% (gross profit basis; compared to 2019), and disposal losses were reduced by approximately 10% (including disposal and revaluation losses; compared to 2019). (*Results of comparisons with past results. These are overall effects, not only measures in question.) Through trial operations, we established a customized proprietary system that combines AI and human empirical rules and also reflects verification results. We are working to improve the accuracy of the system with a view to utilizing it in future overseas operations.

Quality and Design for Long-term Use

In order to reduce environmental burdens, it is necessary to extend products’ life cycle, and JINS has collaborated with world-class designers to create universal and timeless designs that can be used by customers for a long time. In addition to frames, JINS offers a wide range of high-quality and high-performance lenses to ensure both comfort and long-lasting quality. Not only do we provide proper eye examinations at the time of purchase, but we also offer maintenance services after purchase. Through these activities, we use less raw materials for manufacturing and contribute to environmental burden reduction.