Plastic Waste

This article detailed how there has been a big global push to reduce plastic waste and usage. The US is the biggest offended re: plastic and plastic packaging, and Japan is second. Companies in Japan started looking for biodegradable or paper alternatives last year - pretty recently.

180 countries also signed the Basel Convention, with tighter recycling restrictions and higher environmental standards re: plastic waste and consumption. This complicates dynamics for countries that are currently sending their plastic waste and other garbage to other countries - now, consent must be obtained before any shipping of non-recyclables. China is an example of a country resisting this practice, and is banning foreign waste imports.

In the past, in Japan, there hasn't been a huge demand for biodegradable materials, so there hasn't been much development. Company Kaneka plans to invest 10 billion in biodegradable plastic production.  Mitsubishi has also recently been interested in using lighter and stronger plastics in their manufacturing. A fund has also been financed in Japan by leading chemical and material companies for the purpose of investing in material development startups.

Lifestyle shifts are happening, too - konbinis have plans to switch to paper bags instead of plastic by 2030. Plastic bags will require payments in the future. Nippon Paper sees this dropping demand for plastic bags and plastic products as a great way to re-enter the market with paper alternatives.

According to other sources, Japan has determined to cut single use plastic consumption by 25% by 2030, but it has been pointed out that the base number for measuring a the 25% reduction has not been specified, and this plan has come under fire for not including more crucial details such as this one. Japan produces around 9.2 million tons of plastic waste - and more of this (1.5 million tons) used to be shipped to countries such as China, but not as much is anymore. Japan's usage has not decreased in line with this, though, and more waste is accumulating in the country. Japan is feeling the pressure - ahead of the G20 summit hosted in Osaka in June, the government has accepted a more rigorous waste and reduction plan. This plan is specifically ocean-focused, looking to reduce the amount of plastic and waste that ends up in the water. Abe wanted to use this meeting to push for these reforms. Konbinis have actually stood in the way of this plan for a while - the association that represents the mini marts has long opposed a plastic bag ban.

As the G20 summit draws closer, Japan seems to be feeling the pressure as the summit's host, and a country that has recently been so heavily criticized for being behind. Many have cited the cleanliness of the country and the waste sorting system as having "hid" the true problem for so long. Currently, Japan seems to be scrambling to catch up, especially in the context of G20, but I still believe that the one of the biggest barriers will be shifting the mindset of the Japanese population. Plastic is such a huge part of the appeal of many Japanese products, highlighting their cuteness and cleanliness, and even something like the absence of water fountains makes carrying a water bottle around easy if one is trying to avoid plastic. Being in Japan, I have not been privy to any dialogues surrounding sustainability - not that these create the most change, but I believe that they are crucial for the easy acceptance of many of the new policies. Alongside increased regulations, I believe that there must also be an increase in conversation surrounding this issue.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/05/31/national/japan-adopts-policy-package-aimed-cutting-plastic-waste-ahead-osaka-g20-summit/#.XPIkU9MzbOQ
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2019/02/26/editorials/cuts-usage-single-use-plastics-gain-urgency/
https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2019/03/21/japan-plastic-waste-environment.html