Japan is finding new uses for rice that would otherwise be left behind, turning unused or unwanted rice into organic ethanol for cosmetics and everyday household products. Fermenstation, a Japanese company working with fermentation technology, has developed a process that ferments and distills rice into ethanol while also making use of the material left over from production.
The approach connects agriculture with beauty and household goods, giving an overlooked resource a second life. It also reflects a wider effort to create products from renewable materials instead of relying entirely on conventional industrial ingredients.
How is Japan turning rice waste into organic ethanol for cosmetics
Fermenstation has developed a system in Oshu, Iwate, where rice is fermented and distilled to produce ethanol. According to Fermenstation’s official website, the idea grew from a project involving rice farmers and the local government that explored using rice from unused paddies to produce ethanol. The project eventually helped inspire the creation of the company.
The company later began cultivating JAS-certified organic rice on previously abandoned farmland in Oshu and producing ethanol at its own facility. The process uses fermentation followed by distillation, turning the rice into a useful alcohol rather than leaving the resource unused. Fermenstation says its ethanol can be used as a raw material for cosmetics and aromatic products.
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