FamilyMart to ban plastic forks ahead of ordinance enforcement

Aren’t all convenient store chopsticks “non-plastic”?

Daiso stores charge for shopping bag (50 cents in USD). That made me to start carrying my own shopping bag in my pocket whenever I go to a Daiso store or supermarket now. I am converted.

Now it they could start taking out the plastics in our food…

There are two issues here: firstly, the science and technology have been very slow to develop quick, safe, biodegradable plastics, which must take a much higher priority now, especially as the seas and oceans around every continent on this planet are full of micro-plastics and nurdles, which are prevalent in the sea-food and fish which we eat, and which incidentally can be carcinogenic.

Secondly, soap has always been a product made in tablet-form - it's got to be a better choice rather than the plastic-containers of hand-wash soap and shower-gels which most households seem to go for. During the last year, I have been trialling bars of shampoo which have been an excellent substitute for the plastic-containers, thereby reducing further the mountain of plastic waste which the world seems hell-bent on leaving future generations to clean up.

We've all got to think 'greener', and all these measures start with the smallest steps.

They’re

So there going to ban plastic a month before plastic is banned? That’s forward thinking, eh?

while selling forks, spoons and chopsticks made of bamboo

So their reduction in plastics is to increase profits. Way to go! (Roll eyes)

It gets even better; these will be packaged in plastic.

I also calculated that the estate-agent adverts in my city cost 5 grand to recycle each month. Who really needs an advert from an estate agent each and every day.

Print out or buy a sticker that reads 'チラシお断り' (no pamphlets), stick it next to your letterbox and it will cut that out. I did it a few years ago, and amazingly the grannies that stuff letterboxes for bottom dollar actually observe it. The only rubbish I get nowadays is from political candidates.

All the bento food has so much plastic packaging anyway I'm not sure it will make much difference.

Every little helps. Lots of small things by lots of people can make a difference.

20 years back, the local supermarket was giving points if refusing plastic bags, then 100 yen back or a shopping bag as a present for 10 points. I quickly had a bag and still using it. Then for the last ten years, the card from the supermarket. This is very convenient. And the plastic bags always reused.

Stop wrapping individual vegetable items in plastic.

How about just having a recycle bin. Most people use them to eat lunch or diner in the car park then throw away in the bin with the other disposables.

I just buy a bag of chips and use them like a spoon.

The planet comes before my heart.

That's not a massive inconvenience..

Just do what I did a number of years ago. For around ¥1200 you can purchase yourself a decent travel cutlery set. Made of stainless steel and the set comes with a knife, fork, spoon, chopsticks, straw and a nice little case to keep them in.

One small step for man, one giant leap for Japan!

fork-like spoons..

You mean a spork?

Good move though. There is waaaay too much plastic wrapped plastic concealed in plastic in a country that's fastidious to a near obsessive level about trash sorting and recycling.

well that should solve the forking planetwide plastic pollution problem poste-haste then

Good Job FM. I hope other stores follow suite.

Well done FM. A good first step.

SPORK is the word you are looking for!

When I go to the supermarket now, overwhelmingly people have their own bags. A big change from 20 years ago

@Phylis

When my local city changed its rubbish collection system I measured that each week my household of two has a 30 litre bag worth of plastic and we were being reasonably careful. The burnable rubbish fits into 7.5 litre.

I also calculated that the estate-agent adverts in my city cost 5 grand to recycle each month. Who really needs an advert from an estate agent each and every day.

while selling forks, spoons and chopsticks made of bamboo

So their reduction in plastics is to increase profits. Way to go! (Roll eyes)

One of the good things about being a rare white person in my city is that I have trained all the local shop staff that I do not need a bag, spoon, fork, chop-stick or anything else but what I aome to buy. Have been doing it for years because personally I do not need a government law for such stuff.

However like the bags in the supermarket I see most people just either buy a bag or have everything wrapped in a bunch of smaller plastic bags rendering the process useless.

I do not believe the IPCC and its dodgy science but I have never liked waste so maybe the government should start being a bit more fussy with taxi's and lorries idling all day or the massive amount of extra-lighing, heating, cooling that goes on all-year round.

The only thing that Koike said to the British government regarding the environment was office-workers not wearing suits and ties in the summer which is hardly going to make much difference if they still switch on every electric device they can.

Don't take away my fork for my pasta. Not going to help their ready-made pasta sales.

All the bento food has so much plastic packaging anyway I'm not sure it will make much difference.

Probably won't

Don't take away my fork for my pasta. Not going to help their ready-made pasta sales.

All the bento food has so much plastic packaging anyway I'm not sure it will make much difference.