The University of Tokyo · Business, Management and Accounting
Professor Eri Amasawa's research lab focuses on sustainable materials and circular economy solutions, with a strong emphasis on life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate environmental impacts across product design, consumption models, and emerging technologies. The lab investigates bio-based and biodegradable polymers like PHBH, smart energy-harvesting windows, and sustainable fashion business models such as clothing rental platforms to reduce environmental footprints. A key focus is on integrating environmental performance with consumer behavior and technological innovation to support low-carbon, resource-efficient societies. The lab combines empirical research, including surveys and interviews, with quantitative LCA to inform policy and design for sustainability.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
A new design for an energy‐harvesting electrochromic window (EH‐ECW) based on the fusion of two technologies, organic electrochromic windows and dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), is presented. Unlike other power‐generating smart windows, such as photoelectrochromic devices that are passive and only contain two states (i.e., a closed‐circuit colored state and an open‐circuit bleaching state), EH‐ECW allows active tuning of the transmittance by varying the applied potential and it functions as a
This paper presents design approaches to induce behavioral shifts toward product sharing through a case study on laundry activities in Japan. Business models involving provision of temporary access to goods are garnering attention as a way to reduce environmental impacts from the current pattern of consumption. However, the success of such business models is a matter of consumer choice, and there exist hurdles for consumers to forego ownership and transfer to product sharing. To understand the f
This study presents a case study of fashion rental platforms in Canada, drawing upon two unique, yet complementary, datasets: a qualitative analysis based upon semi-structured interviews with the rental platform entrepreneurs and a life cycle assessment (LCA) of 11 garment designs simulating garments offered by the platforms. Fast fashion has not only made garments more accessible to all parts of society, but also made them more disposable. To counteract the sustainability issue of fashion, rent
Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-<i>co</i>-3-hydroxyhexanoate), PHBH or PHBHHx, is a novel bio-based polymer that is biodegradable in both soil and marine environments. While bio-based and biodegradability are often celebrated features to mitigate environmental problems of plastics, their life cycle environmental impacts contain uncertainties that are yet to be fully understood. To develop effective introduction schemes for PHBH, this study assessed the life cycle climate change implications of PHBH. We c
Pharmaceuticals represent a significant contributor to the environmental impact of healthcare. Biopharmaceuticals are a rapidly growing category in that industry. They provide considerable health benefits, but the environmental impact to produce them is still largely unclear. In this paper, we examined the cost–benefit of monoclonal antibody (mAb) production in terms of operating cost and environmental impact through an extended life cycle assessment including 15 environmental categories, disabi
Access-based consumption of clothing has garnered attention because of its sustainability potential; however, the profile of a product-service combination that benefits both consumers and the environment has been inconclusive. To characterize these services, this study explored consumer preferences and climate change impact of diverse garment type and service combinations for a clothing rental service. We performed a web-based survey in Japan to analyze consumer preferences and intended behavior
Abstract This paper describes and analyzes a workshop-based procedure to identify critical consumption and production (CP) linkages for sustainability, applied in the Klang Valley, an urban conglomeration centered in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, Malaysia, targeting the year 2050. We propose a procedure combining a participatory backcasting approach, a structuralizing template, and scenario design cycles to identify critical CP linkages for sustainability. This procedure was tested in the Klang Va
One consequence of increasing agricultural trade is a shift of geographic location of agricultural activity to more economically productive countries. Whether or not the economic efficiency translates to environmental efficiency for agricultural goods is an open question. To examine environmental implications of shifting agricultural location, we analysed the life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of rice production in Japan and the US for the Japanese market in a comparative manner. This pap
ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ARTICLES ASAPPREVCorrectionNEXTORIGINAL ARTICLEThis notice is a correctionCorrection to "Cost–Benefit Analysis of Monoclonal Antibody Cultivation Scenarios in Terms of Life Cycle Environmental Impact and Operating Cost"Eri AmasawaEri AmasawaMore by Eri Amasawahttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-2829-9705, Hiroaki KurodaHiroaki KurodaMore by Hiroaki Kuroda, Kozue OkamuraKozue OkamuraMore by Kozue Okamura, Sara BadrSara BadrMore by Sara Badrhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-4233-1353, an
ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVAddition/CorrectionNEXTORIGINAL ARTICLEThis notice is a correctionCorrection to "Climate Change Implications of Bio-Based and Marine-Biodegradable Plastic: Evidence from Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate)"Eri Amasawa*Eri AmasawaMore by Eri Amasawahttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-2829-9705, Tomoki YamanishiTomoki YamanishiMore by Tomoki Yamanishi, Jun NakataniJun NakataniMore by Jun Nakatanihttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-8085-5089, Masahiko HiraoMasahiko HiraoM
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