The Circular Toy Capsule Vending Machine is a prototype of a circular service design created in cooperation with local businesses in Yokohama City to communicate the importance and fun of the circular economy to citizens. People can play with the machine and obtain circular goods produced by local businesses by bringing PET BOTTLE Caps instead of coins, and the collected caps are recycled and turned into new goods.

Civic engagement and participation are essential for promoting the circular economy. For many citizens, however, the term "circular economy" is unfamiliar, and there is a lack of understanding. It is also necessary to make people feel that participating in the circular economy is not a hassle, but something enjoyable.

The Circular Toy Capsule Vending Machine is a circular service design experiment that allows people to participate in resource recovery in a fun way. The machine was built with open-source data in cooperation with Fablab Minatomirai, a local Fablab in Yokohama city. The design data was originally created by Fablab Hiroshima Akitakata, and the machine is designed to easily repair and disassemble. The capsules were provided by a local waste management company and are being reused repeatedly. Inside the capsules are small circular goods such as upcycled plastic key chains made by a local recycling company. People can play with the machine by bringing PET bottle caps instead of coins. Collected plastic bottle caps are recycled and transformed into new goods, desks, and benches for public spaces. We also rent the machine to local event organizers as a “circular service design” as a service model.

One of the major impacts of the Circular Toy Capsule Vending Machine is that it has connected many local businesses in the city that share a common goal of creating a circular society. In addition, the machine serves as a medium to connect local businesses and citizens, providing promotional opportunities for businesses. Many of the participating companies have gained additional business opportunities through the initiative. In addition, the Circular Toy Capsule Vending Machine, which is popular among children, has attracted a great deal of attention as a part of environmental education tools, and the same activity is spreading to other areas in Japan.

Special Thanks: Fablab Hiroshima Akitakata

Local Collaboration Partners: Minatomirai Fablab ( Kanagawa University ), Shonan Trading, Takematsu Shoji, Kitafuku, and other circular goods suppliers.