GP: The Event Company Committed to Sustainability
Hello, Shigeta from GP here!
Let me ask you—what kind of sustainable actions do you incorporate into your daily life? Maybe separating waste, conserving electricity and water, or using natural materials?
At GP, we have entered a new phase of growth, and sustainability has become a bigger focus for us than ever before. Today, I’d like to introduce some of GP’s everyday sustainability initiatives!
Everyday sustainability at GP
Waste separation
Following the waste separation guidelines of Aoyama Oval Building, where our office is located, we have established clear rules for sorting burnable waste, plastics, PET bottles, glasses & cans, and cardboard.
As part of our office relocation, we also upgraded our trash bins to more stylish and functional ones.
It’s not unusual to hear our CEO enthusiastically saying, “Sort it properly!” while disposing of waste. It’s moments like these that shape our company’s culture and values!
The in-house original “BH cup”
Some of you might already know, but this summer, GP will be introducing its original sustainable cup—the “BH cup.”
The most remarkable feature? Less than 50% of it is made of plastic! In that case, what exactly makes up the rest? That would be rice husks.
Rice husks, which are typically discarded, have been repurposed into eco-friendly cups. That’s sustainability for you! In addition, our sustainability expert, Kanta Hani, highly recommends this product.
Hani has even said that among all the sustainable cups he has seen, this one is the most sustainable of them all!
The eco-friendly detergent, “Birds”
Another favorite of Kanta Hani’s is the natural detergent, “Birds.”
Dubbed a “detergent that coexists with nature,” 93% of Birds is biodegradable within 14 days, and ultimately, 99% of it returns to nature. It is not only sustainable, but also powerful in cleaning, while remaining gentle on sensitive skin. A perfect balance of eco-friendliness and effectiveness!
By all means, if you’re looking for a new household detergent, why not try Birds?
In-house flea markets (held occasionally)
Although we don’t hold official flea markets, our office has an informal culture of sharing and reusing items.
Our CEO occasionally donates clothing he no longer wears to other employees. Just recently, a new graduate employee even received a shirt from him!
This habit isn’t just limited to our CEO—my supervisor, Miyanaga, has also given away stationery and unused mobile batteries to our colleagues. This mindset of reusing is well-ingrained into our workplace.
Sustainable actions for events
Sustainability isn’t just part of our office’s culture—it also plays a big role in our event planning.
Tension fabric panels
Panels are an essential element of event design, often used for displaying event names and branding, as well as booth decorations. However, traditional wooden panels come with significant environmental costs, including transportation emissions, disposal issues, and high CO2 output.
On the other hand, a more eco-friendly alternative is tension fabric panels.
By using synthetic fabric instead of wood, these panels are lighter, easier to transport, and significantly reduce CO2 emissions—to about one-fifth of traditional wooden panels. Another great feature is that unused panels can be recycled into fabric fibers, further reducing waste.
Additionally, lighting can be installed inside the fabric panels to enhance their visibility and vibrancy. For people seeking to make their events more sustainable, this is definitely a recommended solution.
Renewable energy certificates
Now, can an event’s electricity truly be 100% sustainable?
The answer is yes—and all it takes is one certificate!
Here’s how it works: we calculate the total energy consumption of an event, and purchase a renewable energy certificate equivalent to that amount. This doesn’t change the electricity source itself, but the purchase cost is allocated toward the production of renewable energy. This effectively makes the entire event’s energy usage 100% sustainable.
In fact, we’ve even implemented this initiative at one of the events I manage.
We also purchase these certificates to use at the GP office, meaning that our entire office operates on sustainable energy.
Conclusion
This was a summary of GP’s sustainability initiatives! As times change, sustainability is becoming a core value of society, and we are committed to adapting accordingly.
Growing up in Yokohama, I was taught about the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) from a young age, so I’m thrilled to see our company embracing sustainability more than ever. At GP, we will continue integrating sustainability into our events and offering creative, eco-conscious solutions. If you’re planning an event and want to include sustainable elements, feel free to reach out to those of us at GP!
Assistant Producer
