Tag - plastic

 
 

PLASTIC

Japan Times
JAPAN
May 2, 2023
'Horizontal recycling' gives plastics a second life
Through the process, used plastic bottles and other items can be repeatedly recycled into the same thing without the need for new petroleum-derived materials.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Apr 3, 2023
Aiming for zero waste, Hiroshima firms gear up for plastic recycling drive
A number of companies based in the prefecture are either developing their own recycling techniques or contributing to wider efforts to improve local environmental standards.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 13, 2023
Rice into low-carbon plastic: bringing hope to a struggling Fukushima town
A toasted rice aroma hangs around the factory line, where rice is combined with small plastic beads, heated and kneaded before being extruded in thin rods.
Japan Times
WORLD
Mar 6, 2023
Is biodegradable better? Making sense of 'compostable' plastics.
Some fear these 'magical' solutions could lead to further environmental havoc and even encourage more wasteful consumption.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 28, 2023
The EU is cracking down on plastic. Will others follow?
The European Commission has proposed sweeping packaging regulations, requiring product packaging in the EU to be easier to reuse, recycle or in some cases, compost.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 24, 2023
Japanese ballet troupe presents its spin on plastic waste
'Plastic,' a new production by renowned Japanese company K-Ballet, aims to draw attention to a global pollution crisis through some unusual set and wardrobe design.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 20, 2023
Out of Nile, into tile: Young Egyptians battle plastic plague
Entrepreneurial young Egyptians are helping combat their country's huge plastic waste problem by recycling garbage that usually ends up in landfills or the Nile.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 30, 2022
U.N. treaty must tackle production of problematic plastics, Japan says
Studies have shown that plastics output must be curbed to rein in skyrocketing plastic pollution, which is clogging waterways, despoiling oceans and killing wildlife.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Fukushima
Nov 28, 2022
Fukushima firm turns vegetable waste into eco-friendly plastic
The technology could enable cellulose to be mass-produced at a fraction of the usual price.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / Longform
Nov 21, 2022
Polluted waterways: Examining the health of Japan’s rivers
The functional use of Japan's rivers has severely impacted water quality and public health, drawing intense scrutiny over the years.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Nov 7, 2022
‘Plastic-free’: Fukuoka man's monthlong project highlights wider waste issue
A Fukuoka man has shared his quest to buy products in reusable containers to avoid single-use plastic.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 17, 2022
Toilet-maker plans to recycle plastic waste into sidewalks
Only 9% of plastic is currently recycled globally, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 25, 2022
Kayaking ecotour brings unique cleanup effort to World Heritage Site
The tide carries massive amounts of ocean debris that accumulates along Hokkaido's Shiretoko Peninsula that juts out into the Sea of Okhotsk.
Japan Times
WORLD
Sep 13, 2022
In Nigeria, finding value in waste recycling
Some entrepreneurs are working hard to tackle the rubbish mountain, despite the many challenges.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 13, 2022
Japan's plastic waste problem spurs grocery shopping novelty
One scale manufacturer has developed a device that automatically identifies and weighs products to serve the growing demand for a new way to shop.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Aug 28, 2022
Inedible delights: Food sample artisans serve up imitations of grand feasts
With fewer restaurants buying plastic menu items, craftspeople are getting creative with their molded meals.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 12, 2022
Nearly 370 million disposable cups used by Japan coffee chains in 2020
Starbucks is estimated to have distributed the largest number of disposal cups by far, totaling around 231.7 million.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Jul 27, 2022
Faster growth may help bacteria remove lake plastic waste, study says
Chemicals leaking from plastic waste make bacteria grow faster in European lakes, which could provide a natural way to remove plastic pollution from freshwater ecosystems.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Jul 3, 2022
'They're everywhere': Microplastics in oceans, air and the human body
Millions of tons of plastic produced every year, largely from fossil fuels, make their way into the environment and degrade into smaller and smaller pieces.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health / FOCUS
Jul 2, 2022
What it’s like to try living green in China
It's not easy for Chinese consumers to make informed choices about their carbon footprint because the country lags behind in requiring and policing product information.

Longform

Rows of irises resemble a rice field at the Peter Walker-designed Toyota Municipal Museum of Art.
The 'outsiders' creating some of Japan's greenest spaces