Nice to meet you, this is the BONEARTH Lab!

Nice to meet you!

We are NIKKO COMPANY, a tableware manufacturer with over 110 years of history.
We have developed the world's first fertilizer made from recycled discarded tableware, "BONEARTH®".

In this note, "BONEARTH Lab," we will share a wide range of information from NIKKO's Research and Development Division, where BONEARTH was created, including our cultivation research on the fertilizer effects of BONEARTH, as well as events and products using BONEARTH-grown vegetables!

What is "BONEARTH®"?

NIKKO's |NIKKO FINE BONE CHINA*, which is manufactured consistently at our own domestic factory, contains approximately 50% tricalcium phosphate, which is synthesized by dissolving and re-synthesizing the bones of cattle left over from meat production, in addition to the stone and clay that are the raw materials for ceramics. It is loved by many chefs for its whiteness, translucency, and safety in compliance with the Food Sanitation Act.

At NIKKO, since tricalcium phosphate, the main component of bone china raw material, is effective as a fertilizer, we have established a technology to recycle non-conforming products generated during the production process as fertilizer.

Features of BONEARTH

Odorless / Long-term storage possible / Fertilizer effect lasts for a long time / White decorative sand that looks great

Because BONEARTH is made by high-temperature firing, it is a safe and clean fertilizer that is odorless and can be stored for a long time. Also, because it does not dissolve in water, the fertilizer effect lasts for a long time, it is difficult to flow into rivers, and it is an environmentally friendly fertilizer. Just like the characteristics of NIKKO's bone china, it is pure white and beautiful, and can be used as decorative sand that looks great for gardening.

BONEARTH is a beautiful fertilizer that can also be used as decorative sand, born from discarded tableware.
NIKKO, which has been making tableware for over 100 years, will face challenges such as resource depletion and pursue the role that a manufacturer should fulfill.

The trigger for BONEARTH development

The trigger for developing BONEARTH was the harsh reality of being a tableware manufacturer.

The tableware industry has been declining year by year, and sales have dropped to about 1/9th in 35 years. The COVID-19 pandemic added insult to injury, making the situation even more difficult.
The tableware business is called a so-called "sunset industry," and it is becoming very difficult for tableware manufacturers, not just NIKKO, to continue making only "tableware."
In such a difficult situation, while continuing to make tableware as a tableware manufacturer, I had various thoughts.

While holding such thoughts every day and thinking about whether there are any ideas...
"NIKKO's |NIKKO FINE BONE CHINA contains about 50% tricalcium phosphate. Isn't this effective as a fertilizer...?"
The idea was born.

This is how the fertilizer made from recycled discarded tableware "|BONEARTH®" was born.

Fertilizer born from "never giving up"

BONEARTH was born from various thoughts and inspirations, but it was not recognized by the government as a fertilizer, and it took about two and a half years to be registered as one. The reason BONEARTH was not recognized as a fertilizer was a legal one: "the ceramics industry was not included in the Fertilizer Act at the time." Although we repeatedly submitted test results demonstrating its effectiveness as a fertilizer and negotiated by saying, "Nikko's ceramics can be made into fertilizer!", our efforts were in vain, and we received the sad answer that "it is not allowed because it is not in the law." However, we did not give up easily because we knew that

it is clear that bone china is effective as a fertilizer, and it will surely be understood

.

The nutrients necessary for plants to grow include "nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potassium," which are also called the three elements of fertilizer. Commercially available gardening soil contains these three elements as basic nutrients. Among them, "phosphoric acid" is a nutrient that promotes flowering and fruiting, and also works to improve the maturation and quality of fruits. The bone china ceramics we make contain 50% tricalcium phosphate as the main component of the raw material.

We have repeatedly negotiated based on these scientific grounds and joint research with Ishikawa Prefectural University. As a result, the amendment of the Fertilizer Act in December 2021 allowed by-products of the ceramics industry to be registered as fertilizer, and BONEARTH was able to be registered as a fertilizer.

【Fertilizer Registration Number: Sei No. 107121 (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries)】
In March 2022, it was certified as an Ishikawa Prefecture Eco-Recycle Certified Product (Certification Number No. 218).

【Patent Number: Patent No. 7433484】
On February 8, 2024, it was registered as a patent as a result of an examination by the Japan Patent Office.

The circular society for ceramics that Nikko aims for

At Nikko, we are promoting various initiatives in line with the principles of the circular economy. Under these circumstances, with the birth of BONEARTH, we began to think that we could realize a "circular economy of tableware" by using BONEARTH as a starting point.

Currently, much of the phosphoric acid used in Japan relies on imports from overseas, and the price of fertilizer has risen significantly due to the soaring import prices. We believe that by utilizing tableware that previously had to be disposed of as industrial waste due to chips or cracks as phosphate fertilizer and circulating it domestically, it will lead to sustainable fertilizer production.

If this "circular economy" is realized, it will also become the reason why Nikko continues to make tableware as a ceramics manufacturer.

Why we started note

We are promoting initiatives toward realizing a circular economy, but currently, BONEARTH has not yet reached the stage of collection and is made only from non-conforming products produced within the Nikko factory. The problems that must be overcome to realize a circular economy are:

These are the two problems. If these two points can be cleared, we can collect Nikko's fine bone china tableware that has been broken, regardless of color or pattern, from various places and move toward the realization of a "circular economy." The tableware manufactured by Nikko is manufactured using only safe ingredients. Therefore, in theory, even if it has colors or patterns, it should be able to be reborn as BONEARTH. We have reached the point where all that is left is to persuade them to allow it, but...

That is why we decided to start note this time!

By sharing research on cultivation and initiatives with farmers on note, we feel that we can increase opportunities for people to know about BONEARTH and increase the number of people who agree with BONEARTH's initiatives, thereby overcoming the challenges we are currently facing. Your support becomes our strength and the growth of BONEARTH! We would like to ask for your help to break down this big wall. We are looking forward to many comments!

We look forward to working with you!

We are not professionals in fertilizers or agriculture, so we are honestly still learning about growing vegetables and other crops... I am sure there will be many mistakes and failures in our posts from here on out. That is why we would love to receive your advice through comments!
We look forward to many comments!!

Also, for those who would like to try using Bonas but do not know how to use it, please try the methods we use in this note. We look forward to your support for the Bonas Laboratory!

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