Circular Yokohama’s capsule toy machine lets you put PET bottle caps to win local circular goods

Yokohama-based Circular Yokohama, a platform for promoting circular economy in Yokohama, has created “Circular Gacha,” a capsule toy machine that visitors can play with by inserting PET bottle caps, with the aim of creating opportunities for people to enjoy experiencing regional and resource recycling. The capsules that serve as prizes contain recyclable goods manufactured by businesses in Yokohama City, and visitors can obtain one of the prizes in exchange for a PET bottle cap.

This product is exhibited at qlaytion gallery on the 2nd floor of Hoshiten qlay, a complex facility under the elevated railway from Hoshikawa Station to Tennocho Station on the Sotetsu Main Line, until March 31, 2023.

Circular Gacha: A hands-on media for learning about the Circular Economy in a fun way

“Circular Gacha” is a toy machine that can be played with by inserting plastic bottle caps instead of coins, allowing visitors to have fun learning about local communities and the recycling of resources. Gacha-gacha prizes include key chains made from upcycled plastic waste and other local recycling goods manufactured by businesses in Yokohama City. Gacha-gacha capsules are reused, and collected plastic bottle caps are material recycled again to become resources that are reborn as new recyclable goods.

Circular Yokohama aims to provide an opportunity for local residents to experience recycling in a fun way and to learn about businesses in Yokohama that practice a circular business model and the appeal of the circular economy.

Details for the exhibition:

• Exhibition period: until March 31, 2023
• Exhibition venue: Hoshiten qlay B zone qlaytion gallery (2nd floor of Hoshikawa Station)
• Address: B-2-7, 2F, Hoshiten qlay, 1-1-1 Hoshikawa, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
• Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 1 pm – 5:30 pm
• Closed: Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays
• How to participate: You can spin the gacha-gacha once with one plastic bottle cap.

*One person may spin the machine once.
*Please bring a cleaned PET bottle cap.

Examples of prizes

Plastic upcycled key chain (courtesy of Shonan Boeki Co., Ltd.)

Upcycled mini bag charm (courtesy of Kokoro International Co., Ltd.)

Honey candies from Yokohama (America Yama and Shinsugita Park) (courtesy of Seibu Landscaping Co., Ltd. and Yokohama Ryokuchi Co., Ltd.)

Upcycled flower charm made from scraps of socks (courtesy of Kanagawa Prefectural Kanazawa School for the Disabled)

Circular Gacha features: Circular service design through co-creation by businesses in Yokohama City

“Circular Gacha” was realized through the collaboration of several businesses operating in Yokohama City. It is a practice of co-creative circular service design in which each business leverages its strengths to provide a unique experience for local residents.

Circular Yokohama is currently planning “YOKOHAMA CIRCULAR DESIGN MUSEUM” at the qlaytion gallery, with the exhibition theme, “Playful Circularity.” We wanted to design an experience that would allow local residents and children to enjoy and learn about the circular economy. In the process, FabLab Hiroshima Aki Takata and LODGE, an open collaboration hub operated by Z Holdings Co. FabLab Minatomirai was asked to produce the machine.

The machine: Produced by FabLab Minatomirai (Kanagawa University) using open source technology

The gakacha-gacha (toy machine) was created by the staff of “FabLab Minatomirai” located in Kanagawa University’s Minatomirai Campus, utilizing the open source software published by “FabLab Hiroshima Aki Takata.” FabLab is a network of experimental citizen workshops equipped with a variety of digital and analog machine tools.
FabLab Minato Mirai official website: https://www.kanagawa-u.ac.jp/cooperation/project/fablab/

PET bottle caps to be collected: “Shonan Boeki” in Yokohama City’s Nishi-ku upcycles them into new recyclable goods

Plastic bottle caps collected through the “Circular Gacha” will be upcycled into recyclable goods such as key chains, cutlery, stationery, etc. by Shonan Boeki, a plastic material recycling company.
Shonan Boeki’s official website: https://www.shonantrading.com/index.html

Reused capsules: Capsules collected at “the Ecocle Factory,” a reuse business base, are used

The capsules for the Circular Gacha are reused from capsules collected at the “ECO KURU FACTORY,” a reuse business base in Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama City, operated by Takematsu Shoji Co. The capsules themselves are also reused repeatedly.
Ecocle Factory official website: https://www.ecocle.net/factory/

Explanation card for prizes: Utilizes kitafuku craft beer paper made from beer malt lees

Inside the capsule is a set of recyclable goods and a small card that introduces the background of the goods and the business that manufactures and sells them. The explanation card uses craft beer paper made by mixing malt lees of craft beer with paper produced by Kitafuku, a company in Yokohama.
Craft Beer Paper official website: https://cbp.kitafuku-project.com/

Gacha-gacha prizes: Circulation goods made by businesses in Yokohama City

When you play with the gacha-gacha, you can get a variety of recyclable goods manufactured and sold by businesses in Yokohama City. Through the experience of playing with gacha-gacha, it functions as a media that provides an opportunity for local residents to learn about the circular economy initiatives of local businesses.

We are still looking for businesses in Yokohama that agree with the purpose of this project and are willing to donate prizes for the gacha-gacha.

About YOKOHAMA CIRCULR DESIGN MUSEUM

YOKOHAMA CIRCULAR DESIGN MUSEUM is a mobile museum featuring products and services related to circular economy and local production for local consumption originating in Yokohama. The theme is “Playful Circularity.” The museum features a variety of exhibits and mechanisms that allow visitors to experience circularity in a fun way, such as a recycled sanshin (a three-stringed guitar) made from scrap wood, a solar-powered table that can be charged, and upcycled art using coffee grounds as paints.

About Circular Yokohama

Circular Yokohama is a media platform that works to solve issues faced by communities in Yokohama through the promotion of a circular economy. Currently developing various projects related to circular economy in collaboration with companies, educational institutions, NPOs, and LIVING LAB in Yokohama. In December 2021, Circular Yokohama joined forces with the City of Yokohama, the YOKOHAMA Living Lab Support Office, and the Yokohama Community Design Lab (a non-profit organization) to launch the “Circular Economy through Living Lab” project.

[Reference Page] YOKOHAMA CIRCULAR DESIGN MUSEUM (in Japanese)
[Related Site] Circular Yokohama