Article: The Mottainai concept

Tuesday October 6, 2009

PANASONIC continues to lead the way with eco ideas by showing the public how to save energy, money and the environment for greener living at the brand's eco ideas exhibition, themed Power Of Innovation, at the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre in Kuala Lumpur from Oct 2 to 4.

Visitors were presented with various interactive and engaging eco activities, Panasonic's eco-friendly products and innovations, product demonstrations, a cooking demonstration by celebrity chef Amy Beh, beauty tips and more.

To establish Panasonic as an eco brand, its eco ideas this year incorporates the Mottainai concept, an initiative aimed at teaching and guiding the public to use resources properly through 3R – reduce, reuse and recycle.

Mottainai, Japanese for "what a waste" or "do not waste", also refers to a situation when something of value is wasted or used without careful consideration. There is a sense of regret when an object or resource is not properly utilised.

"We use Mottainai, which is also a word to denote eco-friendliness, to create better understanding and concern for our resources and the environment. This concept shows the basic approach of 3R which we can apply in our everyday lives," said Panasonic Malaysia Sdn Bhd managing director, Tony Endoh.

Hear, hear: Preschoolers and teachers of Beacon House Subang Jaya surrounding Mottainai Grandma at the Panasonic Mottainai session held at their school recently.

The Mottainai web portal was launched on Sept 15. The Mottainai CSR pilot project was conducted for 40 pre-school children aged five and six from Beacon House Subang Jaya on Sept 8. The Mottainai advertising campaign started on Oct 1 and will go on for one month.

Endoh said: "This is the second year we are hosting an eco ideas exhibition on our eco initiatives but this time, we are leveraging it further through the Mottainai concept."

"Panasonic will offer creative solutions and demonstrate how its stylish and environmentally-friendly designed products allow consumers to enjoy their daily lives while being mindful of the environment," he added.

At the exhibition, eight new products were introduced, namely Big Capacity Inverter Refrigerator, Top Load Inverter Washing Machine, Bidet, Evolta Battery, Spiral Light Capsule, Alkaline Ionizer, Dish Dryer and Air Purifiers.

The exhibition was stylishly designed and interactive. Visitors experienced a fascinating journey through six dedicated areas, namely Mottainai World, Eco Ideas Experience Exhibit, Home Appliances Exhibit, Audio Visual Exhibits, Digital Imaging and Business Systems Solutions Exhibits.

At Mottainai World, for example, the public learnt how to conserve the Earth's resources and the meaning of Mottainai with Mottainai Grandma through interesting games.

Eco Ideas Experience, on the other hand, invited visitors to feel, think, know and do by making them aware, understand and take action on current environmental issues. It also shared Panasonic's efforts in protecting planet Earth globally. Other highlights were a showcase of Panasonic's eco-friendly products.

This eco ideas exhibition is part of Panasonic's eco relay activity, a group-wide ecology campaign that will be conducted by 342 Panasonic companies in 39 countries globally. This year it started in Singapore and was followed by Malaysia.

As a company that bases its management philosophy on contribution to society and with a corporate vision of coexistence with the global environment, Panasonic is globally promoting its environmental sustainability management through Green Plan 2010.

This was announced by Panasonic Corporation president Fumio Ohtsubo in view of the accelerating anti-global warming initiatives by international communities and societies.

For details on the Panasonic brand and products, go to www.panasonic.com.my or call the Customer Care Centre at ☎ 03-5543 7600.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Lifestyle: Living 6 October 2009