MCDecaux and its parent company JCDecaux are engaged in sustainable activities undertaken at various levels. Three major corporate guidelines were established internationally to contribute to the development of a more sustainable society:
- Towards more sustainable living spaces
- Towards an optimized environmental footprint
- Towards a responsible business environment
Following these principles, MCDecaux works on initiatives in Japan such as promoting sustainable campaigns. For example, the company provides advertising medias since 2022 to Green Bird, a Japanese Non-Profit Organization focused on cleaning Tokyo, in order to raise awareness on the important subject of trash management and associated behaviors.
This article focuses on the latest volunteering activity of MCDecaux employees that joined Green Bird teams to clean an area of Omotesando neighborhood on June 10th.
The activity started near Harajuku Station after meeting with the cleaning team of the day, composed of Green Bird representatives and individual volunteers. Every member was handed material for the session: Green Bird bibs, a pair of gloves, pliers and a trash bag. The group leaders then provided instructions regarding the path to clean and the way of sorting waste depending on the color of everyone’s bag: green for general garbage and brown for cans, glass and plastic bottles. After that, cleaning could start!
Omotesando is a very crowded area and seems mostly unpolluted when walking down the streets. However, the team found consequent waste in hidden places such as bushes and nearby narrow alleys. The busy streets were covered with small size trash that can go unnoticed and removing it is important to avoid ocean and land pollution. Along the way, in the famous Takeshita-dori Avenue, the removing operations turned out to be challenging because of the high concentration of shops and people but volunteers successfully removed garbage from the zone.
Finally, the session ended with a final waste sorting and provided the participants with the sensation of contributing to a better environment.
“It felt good joining the activity as there were some shop personnel thanking us and some tourists handing me their garbage without leaving it behind. We did clean the Earth despite that it is a very tiny step forward.” S.T. – Operation Department
“Picking up trash and cleaning up the city was fun and gave me a sense of accomplishment. I've been so busy with my work and personal life lately that I was simply happy to be able to help society through volunteer work after such a long time.” T.K – City Relations Department
“I decided to participate because I felt that Green Bird's vision of "making the city we live in beautiful and cool" was close to MCDecaux's one. Through the activity, although the amount of trash collected by one person was small, with all the participants' contributions added up, it represented a considerable amount. I felt a sense of accomplishment and unity as the town became cleaner through the actions of everyone. I would be happy if the circle of people who want to clean the town continues to develop.” Y.H. – City Relations Department
“It was very refreshing to be able to collaborate with people from departments that I don't usually have contact with through such a wonderful opportunity!” H.O. – Operation Department
“It was my first time participating in volunteer activities, and I was first surprised at how quick and easy it was to participate. I also felt a great sense of accomplishment after the activity. Although it is impossible to eliminate all garbage, I felt that the accumulation of these small activities will make the environment a better place.” N.N. - Marketing Department
About Green Bird: Created in 2002, the NPO started its work in Harajuku, Tokyo. The objective was to make the city a cleaner place and to make the waste picking activity more fun. To do so, Green Bird built a positive atmosphere and shared engaging messages to guide and connect people. The organization went from 10 teams in 2006 to 72 in 2020 and continues to grow!
