Precious Plastic Karatsu Participates in First-Ever Fukuoka Edition of "GREEN MARKET FUKUOKA" – Transforming Around 1,000 PET Bottle Caps into One-of-a-Kind Plant Pots

A unique flower pot crafted from approximately 1,000 PET bottle caps collected in Karatsu. Since the colors of collected caps vary each time, no two pots ever have the exact same appearance.

Precious Plastic Karatsu, a plastic upcycling initiative operated by NPO Karatsu Farm & Food (Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture; Representative Director: Nozomi Hamaguchi), participated in the market event "GREEN MARKET FUKUOKA" held on May 30, 2026 (Sat) at Fukuoka City Botanical Garden. Under the theme "Local Green Economy (grown locally, circulating locally)," around 1,000 PET bottle caps collected in Karatsu were transformed by approximately 30 participants—most of them children—into one-of-a-kind flower pots during the event.

Held amid the fresh greenery of Fukuoka City Botanical Garden, "GREEN MARKET FUKUOKA" brought together shops promoting plant-centered lifestyles. Originating in Kobe, this marked its first-ever edition in Fukuoka.

A Kobe-born market makes its debut in Fukuoka

"GREEN MARKET FUKUOKA" marked the inaugural Fukuoka edition of a market series born in Kobe. Centered on the theme "grown locally, circulating locally," it gathered vendors advocating lifestyles enriched by plants.

At the Precious Plastic Karatsu booth, visitors witnessed a circular economy approach in action: PET bottle caps, which would otherwise be discarded, were melted on-site and upcycled—adding new value to waste materials to create new products—without generating additional waste.

The moment the lever is pulled—molten plastic is poured into molds, transforming into plant pots through the hands of children.

The brightest smile of the day, holding the newly made pot.

A look of intense concentration at the moment of pulling the lever.

Colorful caps are melted, the lever is pulled, and plastic flows into molds. Once cooled and solidified, a one-of-a-kind plant pot is complete.

No two pots are ever the same in color, because the mix of collected caps never repeats. Expressions of deep focus while operating the machine, followed by joyful smiles when holding the finished pots—on this day, around 1,000 discarded caps gradually transformed through the hands of children.

The booth displayed a vibrant array of upcycled pots. Inside the glass jars: the raw material—PET bottle caps.

Local plants take root in upcycled pots

At CLEMA FACTORY in Nanayama, Karatsu City, rare plants native to the Nanayama region were planted and displayed in these upcycled pots. The sight of locally grown plants thriving in upcycled pots embodied the event’s theme of "circulation," realized in a single small pot.

Strong demand for sales and future participation

Although this event focused on demonstration and produced only a limited number of pots, many visitors expressed interest, saying, "We want to buy them," "We’d love to host this at our event," or "Where can we get these pots?"

Comments from Organizers

Takaharu Kojima, Deputy Director, NPO Karatsu Farm & Food

"The greatest 'creation' wasn’t the pot itself, but the children’s smiles. What we truly hoped they’d take home wasn’t the pot, but rather a small realization: 'Before discarding something, maybe it can become something else.' Seeing local plants take root in upcycled pots perfectly reflected the event’s theme of 'grown locally, circulating locally.'"

Event Overview

Item

Details

Date

May 30, 2026 (Sat)

Venue

Fukuoka City Botanical Garden

Event

GREEN MARKET FUKUOKA (Kobe-originated, first-ever Fukuoka edition)

Theme

Local Green Economy (grown locally, circulating locally)

Number of Participants

Approx. 30

PET Bottle Caps Used

Approx. 1,000

Products Created

Upcycled flower pots (limited production for display)

Collaboration

CLEMA FACTORY (Nanayama, Karatsu City)

About Precious Plastic Karatsu

Precious Plastic Karatsu is a plastic upcycling initiative based in Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, operating under the philosophy of the Netherlands-born open-source project "Precious Plastic." By collecting, shredding, and molding used plastics into products such as keychains, coasters, and flower pots, the project aims to realize a circular economy that avoids waste and recirculates resources, while promoting environmental education (ESD).

Organization Overview

Organization: NPO Karatsu Farm & Food

Address: 3-7-22 Higashikaratsu, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture

Representative Director: Nozomi Hamaguchi

Activities: Biodiversity conservation, environmental education (ESD), promotion of circular economy, nature-positive initiatives, Precious Plastic (plastic upcycling), management of Ministry of the Environment-certified Nature Symbiosis Sites (OECM), beach cleanups

Official Website: https://karatsu-f-f.com

Online Shop: https://karatsuff.shop

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/preciousplastic_karatsu/

Inquiries

For inquiries regarding this press release, workshops, or booth participation, please contact via direct message on the official website (https://karatsu-f-f.com) or Instagram (@preciousplastic_karatsu).