What a Load of Rubbish: Japan’s Problem with Increasing Disposable Container and Packaging Waste

Huge amounts of plastic are used in everyday life. However, much of the plastic used for disposable containers and packaging is used once and then discarded. This can then cause a serious environmental problem. After describing the environmental effects and possible ways of treatment, this paper examines the situation in Japan, particularly with respect to how reuse and waste reduction can be achieved in Japan by adopting better extended producer responsibility schemes, introducing bans or fees for shopping bags etc. The specifi c roles that governments, companies and individual people can play are discussed in detail, and a comparison is made with some of the methods that have been adopted in other countries and which may be applicable to Japan