National Jul 3, 2020
Japan considers adding toothbrushes and other plastics to recyclable waste
According to analysis, 66 percent of plastic household waste in 2018 was containers and packaging, while plastic bottles accounted for 18 percent.
National / Reference | FYI Jul 1, 2020
Japan's new plastic bag charge: What it means for consumers and the environment
by Eric Johnston
The new rule is aimed at reducing the amount of plastic that ends up in the country’s rivers, forests, streams and, ultimately, surrounding oceans.
National Jun 30, 2020
All Japanese stores to charge shoppers for plastic bags from Wednesday
The measure is designed to protect the environment, but plastic shopping bags account for only around 2 percent of all plastic waste produced in the country.
World / Science & Health Jun 25, 2020
Plastic may have already 'deeply' entered Antarctic terrestrial food chain
Scientists have found bits of polystyrene in the guts of tiny, soil-dwelling organisms in the Antarctic, raising concern that microplastics pollution has already "deeply" entered the world's most remote land-based food systems. While the infiltration of microplastics throughout the oceans is well-known, researchers said their ...
Business Jun 4, 2020
Convenience stores in Japan to charge for plastic bags from July
Three major convenience store operators will charge customers ¥3 for each plastic shopping bag at all domestic outlets from July 1, it was learned Thursday. This comes in line with the government's plan to oblige retailers across the country to charge fees for plastic bags ...
National May 23, 2020
Shiretoko Peninsula's plastic waste said luring Hokkaido bears closer to humans
Plastic bags, bottles and other waste are becoming a serious problem for the bears on Hokkaido's Shiretoko Peninsula, and conservationists warn they could begin approaching humans if they acquire a taste for garbage. The Shiretoko Peninsula is a World Heritage Site and has one of ...
Asia Pacific May 12, 2020
Plastic piles up in Thailand as virus fight sidelines pollution battle
Thailand began the year with a ban on single-use plastic bags that Bangkok office worker Nicha Singhanoi hoped would cut back the waste that puts her country among the world's top five choking the oceans with plastic. Then the coronavirus pandemic forced school closures and ...
Food & Drink | Food Sustainability in Japan Apr 18, 2020
It’s 2020: Time for Japan to end its reliance on PET bottles
by Patrick St. Michel
Japan's intricate approach to packaging — matryoshka-like, within layers of plastic and paper — used to seem charming. In 2020, however, it now just feels annoying and wasteful. Companies have started wising up to the realities of the 21st century, launching eco-friendly PR campaigns. One ...
National Mar 24, 2020
Kyoto Prefecture city to ban single-use plastic shopping bags
A city assembly in western Japan enacted an ordinance Tuesday that bans local retailers from offering single-use plastic shopping bags to customers, whether they are free or priced, the first such measure in the country. The ordinance in Kameoka, Kyoto Prefecture, is set to take ...
World / Science & Health Mar 19, 2020
Plastics had been falling out of favor. Then came the coronavirus
by Leslie Kaufman
It took one week after the first U.S. case of COVID-19 with no overseas connection for Starbucks Corp. to temporarily ban customers from bringing in reusable coffee mugs. Judith Enck, a former regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency, was disappointed. Public health comes first, ...
National Mar 5, 2020
Minimum ¥1 fee for plastic bags to kick in weeks before Tokyo Olympics
Beginning in July, retailers across Japan will be required to charge for plastic shopping bags, at a time when marine plastic waste is becoming a serious problem worldwide. The move is aimed at increasing public awareness of the need to reduce plastic waste. The government ...
Asia Pacific / Science & Health Mar 2, 2020
In bid to mend Pacific ties, Australia legislates greater recycling use
Australia will require government departments to use more recycled products, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday, as Canberra looks to repair ties with Pacific island nations despite a refusal to step up efforts on global warming. Morrison last year angered Pacific Island leaders when ...