Since its founding, SHIRO has been producing products maximizing the power of natural materials from Japan and overseas. Drawing out the strength of ingredients to their fullest.
SHIRO wants to reduce the burden placed on the global environment because receiving a lot of the power of nature in product manufacturing.
SHIRO is making various efforts based on ethical perspectives and ideas that consider the global environment and society.
01
Creating Products That Maximize the Blessings
of Nature
Reducing Waste by Using Materials in Their Entirety
When selecting materials for SHIRO products, we prefer to use branches and leaves discarded after pruning in the manufacturing process and products out of specification due to their appearance.
With the joy and gratitude of enjoying the irreplaceable blessings of nature that the producers are particular about, SHIRO's products are manufactured by carefully using all the materials.
Collecting Raw Materials That Lead to Job Creation
The idea of "making people in the world happy through SHIRO's products" is also reflected in the process of collecting raw materials for their production.
For example, SHIRO's Tamanu oil, which the Senior Human Resources Center carefully handled, is collected from the fruits that fall from the Tamanu tree, which is relied upon as a windbreak and roadside tree in Okinawa, Japan. In order to create local employment and play a part in increasing the income of the senior generation, SHIRO switched from Hawaiian Tamanu, which was originally used in products, to Okinawan sourced Tamanu.
The shea butter used in SHIRO's wide range of products is made by a women's association in Ghana. SHIRO visited the site directly and witnessed the process of creating shea butter through their careful manual work and has continued to import directly from the country of origin since the brand was established.
02
Do not produce things that are wasteful
We started selling package-less products in all SHIRO directly managed stores in Japan.
From the year 2020, SHIRO started offering ethical products which do not require a paper box for the purpose of protecting the product. Instead, we are offering our customers a better and sustainable way of purchasing by discounting the amount of materials used in the packaging and omit from the regular price of the product. We first developed "ethical discount" at SHIRO online and some of our stores in Japan. With the sympathy of many customers, the percentage of people who chose to purchase package-less products (“ethical discount”) has exceeded 80% (as of March 2022).
Based on this fact, we ended the "Ethical Discount" program and started selling package-less products from April 2022 at SHIRO online stores as well as directly managed stores in Japan. Along with this, we will discontinue the production of products in paper boxes and for customers who wish, we will provide paper bags separately according to the size of each product.
By making our paper bags available only to those who need them, we aim to protect the forest resources which are the key raw materials for making paper.
After April 2022, customers who wish their products to be gift wrapped can use a paper bag or a gift box that matches the size of the product.
CO2 emissions expected to be emitted during the life cycle of paper bags and gift boxes.
Charge for Shopping Bag
Since 2020, the Japan SHIRO online store has been charging for single use shopping bags. From April 2022, we have begun charging for single use bags across all our domestic stores in Japan. With the aim of reducing waste in daily life, customers will not be offered a single use bag. Customers will be able to purchase a shopping bag upon request if required. This is to ensure that customer do not receive anything they do not need. In addition, based on the same concept, we will no longer provide free rain covers for bags or simple wrapping in stores.
The amount CO2 emissions that can be reduced by not using a shopping bag by different size.
*3 As of the end of March 2022
(the shopping bags which are charged at SHIRO Japan stores only)
03
Creating Products That Can Be Used Carefully for
a Long Time
Makeup with the Amount Adjusted for Each Colour
According to the Frequency of Use
The new makeup collection released in September 2021 in Japan (also available in the UK this year) renewed the package design and colours. In addition to reducing the amount of plastic used in the product and eliminating the attached brush, the ginger eyeshadow palette adjusts the amount for each colour according to the expected frequency of use. The lineup particularly focuses on long-term use.
Deployment of Refill Products
By 2020, the refill package products were launched for room fragrance products in Japan. In 2022, there will be new refill package products in the home care series.
Refilling only the contents so that they can be used repeatedly reduces the amount of CO2 generated when disposing of empty containers and reduces the burden on the global environment.
04
Efforts to Connect Customers
and the Global Environment
SHIRO ECO SYSTEM
Visualization Of The Impact Of Customers'
" Ethical Choices "on The Global Environment
Some of the natural materials used in SHIRO products are purchased and used from non-standard products that cannot be distributed for food by producers and are typically discarded. The amount of CO2 that is assumed to have been emitted in the disposal process when the product is disposed of without use as a SHIRO product is calculated and displayed independently according to the material content of each product. We will continue to add indications for target products as needed.
In addition, for products subject to the Ethical Discount, the amount of CO2 that was not emitted by selecting "Do not receive paper box" is the life cycle of the paper and raw material used for the paper box (from raw material procurement to manufacturing processing, distribution storage, disposal). * Calculated independently based on the standard amount of CO2 emitted in the series of processes and the transportation process between each process) and displayed on the product page.
* About the basis for calculating CO2 emissions
The CO2 emissions of each product are the life cycle / value of "IDEA ver3.1 (Environmental load of raw materials, products and services in business in Japan) provided by IDEA Lab, Safety Science Research Division, National Research, and Development Corporation. SHIRO calculates it independently based on a database that is visualized in consideration of the chain.
05
Importance of a
Sustainable Future
No Animal Testing
SHIRO's skincare and makeup items are made from SAKE KASU, GAGOME KOMBU, BUTTERBUR, and other ingredients that can be used with peace of mind. Of course, SHIRO do not conduct animal testing in any product manufacturing. Pursuing "what we really want to use every day", the planning and manufacturing staff themselves are constantly developing and trialing to find the ideal product, all the while testing it on themselves.
Use Renewable Energy
Furthering efforts to reduce the burden on the global environment, we have started to use electricity derived from renewable energy at several stores in Tokyo. Through UPDATER Co., Ltd. our aim is to contribute to the regional economic cycle and realize a low carbon footprint by utilizing 100% renewable energy.
Renewable energy generated by wind power generation at Akita Katagami Wind Farm (Katagami City, Akita Prefecture, Japan)
Creating a Fair Relationship with Producers
Who Can See Their Faces
At SHIRO, we always meet the producers in the process of searching for materials, know "what kind of people have what kind of feelings, and in what environment they are making the materials," and at fair prices and conditions we purchase materials. It is one of the things that we have protected with the desire to make everyone involved in SHIRO's product manufacturing smile, regardless of whether they are in Japan or overseas.
A Production System That Does Not Manufacture Too Much and Waste
At SHIRO we manufacture products and it is essential not to overproduce, considering the latest trends when launching new products. Since products made from natural materials have an expiration date, it is also the responsibility of SHIRO to prevent the development from being wasted and increase the burden on the global environment.
06
The Relation with Nature
When lavender fields in Hokkaido and Furano were attracting attention, Laurel Co., Ltd. was established with the main business of manufacturing and wholesale of tourist souvenirs.
Launched our own brand "LAUREL" to maximize the power of natural materials and embody the desire to "make what we want to use every day".
Developed the skincare brand "sozai LAUREL". Focus on the fact that materials that are originally by-products or cannot be used as food due to problems such as appearance have a lot of nutrition. While visiting the production area directly and drawing on the producer's wishes, popular products such as the GAGOME KOMBU series and SAKE KASU series were born.
The brand name has since changed from LAUREL to shiro. The food selection "shiro life ", which handles delicious ingredients and processed products made by producers, has been another addition to the brand. In addition, we opened the "shiro cafe" in Sunagawa City, Hokkaido, where we opened our business to experience the ingredients used for skincare from producers nationwide through food.
From shiro to SHIRO. The logo and packaging have been renewed on the 10th anniversary of the brand's birth, SHIRO SELF opened at LUMINE EST Shinjuku store, Tokyo, Japan. Started Ethical Discount, which can be purchased without a paper package.
We have prepared an aroma wood set for the holiday, Favourite Coffret that utilizes cypress generated during thinning of dense trees. Not only is it environmentally friendly, but it has received a lot of positive feedback.
* Please note: Holiday Favourite Coffret 2020 has been sold out due to its popularity at the Japan SHIRO online store.
SHIRO made a pouch with women living in Thai slums using rice bags used as a rain cover and windbreak. To spread such a cycle of happiness, we will continue to work with them to make them smile.
SHIRO is planning to start charging for shopping bags at SHIRO Japan domestic stores.
In addition, the "Ethical Discount" for purchasing package less products were previously available only at the Japan online store and limited retail stores.
This year, the product and protective sleeves are sold separately at SHIRO directly managed stores and SHIRO online stores globally.
In order to protect the limited forest resources that are the raw materials for the paper used for shopping bags, packaging and product protection, please take them home in your own bag as much as possible. Please use packaging materials that are only absolutely necessary. We recommend that you reconsider the necessity if choosing packaging materials for products at SHIRO.
We opened another base “MINNANO-SUNAGAWA FACTORY” in Sunagawa, Hokkaido, where our brand was founded.
It is a recycling-oriented facility that takes people and the environment into consideration, combining the factory where SHIRO's products are manufactured with a shop, cafe, children's place, and lounge. With having our ethical perspective, we utilized upcycled wood from leftover timber and trees with short life expectancy for the exterior walls. We aim to have civilians, and children, to be the main character of community development. Therefore, we raise our facility as “a place where everyone can bring home a touching experience, gathering people from all around the world”.
