Newly appointed Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi spoke to reporters Friday about his ambitions and goals in his new role, saying that he hopes to make Japan a global leader in tackling environmental issues during a joint interview with media organizations including The Japan Times.
"I hope to have people across the world understand that Japan is actually leading in some aspects of environmental policy ... and there are many unique ways that Japan can contribute to global environmental issues," he said.
"If we take the issue of plastic, Japan has been lambasted for producing the second-most plastic waste per head in the world, but in terms of total waste output, China has far more output. Japan, on the other hand, actually has high rates of plastic recovery," he said, explaining that some figures reached as high as 90 percent.