Environmental Awareness Activities We're Helping Citizens to Beautify Their Communities and to Promote Recycling.

(1) "Clean Can Walk" Inaugurated in 1991, this campaign focuses geographically on cleaning up the Shonan coast. Thanks to newspaper and retail outlet advertising, this annual event has awakened considerable public response: last year, 1,510 people took part, collecting 8,300 aluminum cans and 5,180 steel cans.

(2) Recycling awareness through factory opening events Once a year at three factories -- Matsudo in Chiba Prefecture, Kusu in Mie Prefecture, Fushimi in Kyoto Prefecture --, we open our factories to the community for events that promote exchange with local people. To promote environmental awareness, there are exhibits at the recycling booths and free drinks for people who bring empty cans with them. Last year, a total of 23,200 empties were brought by participants at the three factories' events.

(3) TaKaRa World Invitation Golf Tournament (price of entry: 10 empty cans) This year marks the 15th TaKaRa World Invitation Women's Professional Golf Tournament; since the 11th event, admission has cost 10 empty aluminum cans. The exhibition site features monuments built from aluminum cans as well as other exhibits designed to promote awareness of recycling's importance. Last year's 14th tournament drew 2,314 visitors with can tickets, who brought 26,642 empty cans.

(4) Make the Earth Spic-and-Span Campaign Every year on the company's "birthday," September 15, the TaKaRa Shuzo employees' union stages local cleanup events at branches and offices all over Japan. Last year, cleanups were held in 20 locations, involving 2,013 people (including family members) and collecting 1,629 bags full of refuse.