RISING

Transforming Surplus Rice into Bioplastic: Manufacturing Innovator - Kamiya Kazuhito

In Japan, rice consumption is falling, over 420,000 hectares of farmland lies unused, and a great volume of rice goes to waste. Kamiya Kazuhito has spent 15 years developing a company that uses it to make biomass resin—a form of plastic. In response to rising demand, Kamiya took advantage of unused farmland in Fukushima Prefecture, and began large-scale production. This created jobs, contributing to the recovery of an area devastated by the 2011 Great Earthquake and Tsunami.