Recycling plastic -- Japan style

The greatest problem in Japan re plastics is the insane amount produced and in daily use.

Saying plastic packaging is ubiquitous is an understatement. In most cases the multiple layers of plastic and wrapping / covering are toally excessive.

The 3 Rs - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle are practiced in reverse here. Recycle is King.

How about a serious Reduction!!!

And how safe is the burning of plastics? Sure in very high tech, very high temperature incinerators dangerous emissions can be reduced, but I'd hazard a guess, and suggest that many of the smaller incerators (esp in the countryside) fail completely in this regards, releasing tonnes of toxins into the environment.

This article fails to reveal the true state of plastics in Japan.

Burning plastics is a bio hazard. Not using so much plastic in the first place is the only way to go.

And how much was shipped to China?

But that has just changed as China won’t accept more waste from Japan now...

Take a look at almost any river or stretch of coastline and you’ll see where the rest of the plastic ends up in this country. The place is choking in it.

I was in Singapore recently and pleased to see "water refilling stations." In Japan I see nothing but vending machines packed with plastic bottles everywhere.

Cover up. This is just self defense.

That ensures more than one fifth of plastic waste is recycled in Japan and the majority of the rest is burned either as fuel, or to generate power or heat

This does not justify such hideous waste! Get real Japan! Educate your people!

There is no national legislation banning single-use plastics, and penalties or disincentives for using plastic bags are rare. there lies the problem.

But Japan also has complicated and strictly enforced rules on separating waste to help maximise the reuse and recycling of garbage. because why would companies or the J government want to pay for this when they can force the J public to do it for free.

@kurisupisuJune 7  08:14 am JST

And how much was shipped to China?

0 now because China has stopped the import since early this year which causes a lot of problems all over the world with plastic garbage piling up.