TOKYO >> Efforts to upcycle food, or use parts of food products that would traditionally go to waste, are gaining momentum in Japan amid growing environmental awareness.

In June, Japan’s Kewpie Group used cabbage cores to develop soups and stews as part of its upcycling initiative with the Co-Op Deli Consumers’ Cooperative Union based in Saitama.

The soups, made from ground cabbage cores, have an appealing chunky texture and unique sweetness. The products will be sold through a home delivery service for registered members, with about 7 tons of cores expected to be used annually.

The cabbage core accounts for about 10% of the total weight of the veggie. It’s usually thrown away since cores are fibrous and tough. But they’re also sweet and rich in fiber, making them suitable for the stewed cuisine.

“Customers empathize with our consideration for the environment,” said Toshiyuki Uechi of the Vegetable Innovation Department of Kewpie Corp.’s Institute of Food Creation.

Food delivery company Oisix ra daichi has been developing upcycled products since 2021. Among them are rice crackers made from coffee dregs, collected from the cafes run by Pronto Corp.

In its business collaboration with Choya Umeshu, Oisix ra daichi sold ume (pickled Japanese apricots) used to make ume brandy. The company aims to increase its sales of upcycled products to more than $13.3 million by fiscal 2024.

Upcycling is also referred to as “creative re-use,” and some upcycled products have been transformed into items other than food.

In 2018, Ito En and Mizuno jointly developed an artificial turf made by reusing tea leaves from the manufacturing process of Oi Ocha, an Ito En beverage. In 2021, the turf was used on the soccer field at Teikyo Nagaoka High School in Niigata prefecture.

Tea leaves from the equivalent of 430,000 17-3/4-ounce bottles of Oi Ocha were mixed with resin to create chips. These proved more effective in suppressing surface temperatures on the field than did regular chips made of black rubber.

Since June, Meiji Co. has been using ground cacao bean husks as a molding material for such products as small containers and vases. A bonus: They smell like chocolate.

“This system can benefit both our customers and people in the cacao industry,” said Katsunari Matsuda, Meiji president.

Tea leaves and coffee grounds are considered inedible and do not fall under the category of “food loss” as defined by the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry. But there is a growing trend in Japan’s food industry to make effective use of items that would otherwise be thrown away, thanks to a growing awareness of “mottainai” (what a waste), a term that encourages people to reduce, reuse and recycle.

According to market research firm Global Information, the global market for upcycled food products is expected to grow at an annual rate of more than 6.2% through 2029.

“This trend (of upcycling food) is also in line with consumers’ willingness in recent years to pay for value-added products,” said Tomohiro Ishikawa, a senior researcher at the Distribution Economics Institute of Japan.