Nursing Bottle Recycling Activity

Japan

Many babies use nursing bottles from their earliest days of life, which gives them such sentimental value that families are often reluctant to discard nursing bottles even after their babies outgrow them. We started this activity based on a hunch that our customers would appreciate a system for collecting and recycling nursing bottles that are no longer used and giving them new life as other products—and that this would also help us leave a richer earth for tomorrow’s babies.

Collection at Akachan Honpo Started at 10 Stores and Now Goes Nationwide

In August 2022, we launched an initial “Nursing Bottle Collection Box” trial at 10 Akachan Honpo stores. During the half-year trial period, we received many comments from customers who appreciated the initiative and wished it were available at more stores. In response to these voices, in March 2023 we expanded the initiative to place boxes at all 128 of Akachan Honpo’s stores (at the time). By the end of May 2025, we had collected 38,972 nursing bottles. (Note: This count only includes nursing bottles, and does not include nipples, caps, or hoods.)

After collection, bottles are divided up by material. Glass bottles are recycled into roadbed material, and plastic bottles into planters and pallets. 

Plastic caps and hoods are recycled into original maternity marks for distribution at collaborative events with Akachan Honpo and to use as presents in drawings for customers who befriended Pigeon’s official LINE account “Expectant Mother Friends.” 

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