Raising Awareness of Single-Use Plastics in Japan with Mona Neuhauss

We are thrilled to continue our latest Future of Women Podcast series! In this four-part series, our host Momoko Nakamura takes us around the world to speak with brilliant and creative Japanese women.

Today, on our second episode in the series, Momoko speaks with Mona Neuhauss about raising awareness of single-use plastics in Japan and launching No Plastic Japan, a stainless steel straw brand.

This episode was recorded on November 16, 2021.

Mona Neuhauss is the founder of No Plastic Japan. Born in 1992, Mona was raised in the UK to a German father and Japanese mother. Upon moving to Japan, Mona became highly aware of the reliance of single-use plastics. With the belief that each can do their part, she launched No Plastic Japan, a stainless steel straw brand. As a Sustainability Consultant, she also shares how environmentally responsible behavior can easily be incorporated into everyday life. Mona collaborates with global businesses, as well as support, through consultancy and PR services. She is also a radio host on J-Wave, and of the podcast BEHIND THE CHANGE which explores modern-day activism.

Momoko Nakamura is a cultural conservationist and storyteller, sharing the Japanese art of regenerative living with the world. She roves the Japanese countryside, exploring wisdoms imparted by professionals across the archipelago like ceramists, geologists, farmers, repairers, fermenters, and grandmas. Her community education and experiential programs are intended to help us apply teachings rooted in ancestral heritage into our everyday lives. Momoko hosts the podcast Roots to Fruit, is author of Plant-based Tokyo, and can also be found in the Netflix original series Waffles + Mochi.