The current state of plastic waste in the world and Japan
mymizu Blog Series "My Journey Towards Sustainability, with Kanae"
This blog series 'My Journey Towards Sustainability' is written by mymizu team member Kanae as she documents and shares her learnings on her journey towards a more sustainable lifestyle. Her goal is to make some of the challenges we face, and the actions we can take easy to understand and accessible to all!
In the previous article, we discussed the origin of marine plastics and microplastics, and their impact on our health.
But why is there such a large amount of marine plastic waste in the first place?
The annual production of plastics in the world has increased 20 times in the last 50 years.
The annual output of plastic is about 380 million tons, which is equivalent to the weight of all mankind. As I mentioned in the first part, 8 million tons, about seven Tokyo Domes, will end up in the ocean every single year.
In terms of production volume by industry, packages such as containers and bags account for the most (36%) of all the plastics produced around the world, followed by construction (16%) and fibers (14%).
Single-use plastics, often also referred to as disposable plastics, are commonly used for plastic packaging and include items intended to be used only once before they are thrown away or recycled. These include, among other items, grocery bags, food packaging, bottles, straws, containers, cups and cutlery.
In 2015, plastic packaging waste accounted for 47% of the plastic waste generated globally.
Global plastic production by industrial sector（2015）
What about plastic consumption in Japan?
Surprisingly, Japan is the second-largest generator of plastic packaging waste on a per capita basis after the USA.
Plastic packaging accounts for 67.6% of all plastic waste generated in Japan, 20% more than the world average!
Plastics other than containers and packaging, such as straws, account for 16.2%, and PET bottles account for 14.4% of total plastic waste.
What about microbeads?
As mentioned in part one, some of these plastics flow into the ocean, gradually break up into small pieces, or ‘microplastics’.
There is another type of microplastics which are already smaller than 5mm from the manufacturing stage. These plastic particles are called ‘microbeads’. Microbeads are added to a range of products, including toothpaste, personal care, cleaning products and most cosmetics.
These microplastics, hardly visible to the naked eye, flow straight from the bathroom drain into the sewer system. Wastewater treatment plants are not designed to filter them out; that is how microplastics contribute to the ‘Plastic Soup’ swirling around in our oceans.
As a control measure, countries such as the USA, Canada, Australia, Taiwan, India, UK, the majority of EU countries, New Zealand, Vanuatu, Sri Lanka, and Ghana, have regulated the manufacture and sale of personal care products containing microbeads.
However, in Japan, there is no regulation - only voluntary countermeasures taken at the corporate level.
Some major companies such as Kao and Shiseido have already stopped selling products containing microbeads, but some brands in Japan still use microbeads in their products.
You can start avoiding microbeads by simply checking the raw materials listed in each product. In most cases, polyethylene, polypropylene and copolymer are indicators of the presence of microbeads.
What can we do to reduce marine debris?
Plastic is not inherently bad; it is a man-made invention that has generated significant benefits for society, and even in some cases, the environment. Unfortunately, the way industry and governments have managed plastics and the way society has converted it into a disposable and single-use commodity transformed this innovation into a planetary disaster.
While saying ‘no’ to straws and bringing along a reusable bag are great first steps, it’s important to raise your voice to the government and businesses.
For example, participating online petitions created by organizations such as WWF, Green Peace and Change.org can be very impactful. Governments and businesses can’t ignore hundreds of millions of voices.
Tell the brands and businesses you support that it’s time to change the way they use plastic. Encourage companies to reduce unnecessary plastic use and build production models that reuse and recycle what cannot be eliminated.
This may sound difficult, but it's actually quite simple. You can start off by posting letters in your local supermarket’s opinion box or sending them a message on the contact page of their website.
I also asked the local supermarket to reduce plastic packaging, install lids on trash cans outside the store, and separate trash by sharing my thoughts via the opinion box.
Later on, I even had a chance to talk to the store manager. His honest words were "I really want to reduce the amount of single-use plastic, but we can’t stop providing plastic bags and packaging because it will bother the customers."
There may be many other companies who think in the same way. Perhaps they are waiting for the voice of many consumers asking them to reduce the amount of single-use plastics.
It’s obvious that companies have to make a profit. They cannot produce things that won’t sell, and - at present - many customers are not explicitly voicing their desire for change.
Your voice will help companies develop products that don't require plastic, and encourage local governments and companies to work together to reduce the amount of single-use plastic products.
This movement is already spreading in Japan.
For example, Kanagawa announced the “Kanagawa No Plastic Waste Declaration”, which aims to achieve zero plastic waste by 2030. They align with convenience stores, supermarkets, and restaurants to end the use of plastic straws and shopping bags.
Toyama Prefecture stopped giving out free shopping bags to customers and began charging for them across the prefecture in 2008. This raised the percentage of people who brought their own bags to shop from around 10-20% to 95%.
Since 2003, Kamikatsu Town in Tokushima Prefecture has become known as a “Zero Waste Town”. In 2016, the town succeeded in recycling or composting 81% of the total waste it produced, with all residents working together to clean and separate the waste into 45 categories. The remaining 19% is sent to landfills, but by 2020 the town hopes to abolish landfill disposal altogether.
Looking at these model cases, we can understand that it is important for us consumers to bear a part of the burden. The reason why plastic products have been accepted widely is that they are cheap and convenient, but the costs of reducing the impact on the environment is not included in the price we pay at the supermarket.
In order to sustain the rich ocean for future generations, we have to solve the problem of marine debris. Instead of waiting for someone else to take action, it is important for each of us who use plastic products every day to do something, before it’s too late.
So, what action will you take from today?
【Blogger Intro: Kanae Hasegawa】
As an ecofreak, I aspire to help others adopt a sustainable and healthy lifestyle - not only for the direct benefit of us as individuals but for the health of our environment. My journey towards sustainability started from her hometown Nagoya, Japan where I hosted monthly events such as street cleanup, vegan picnic, yoga, climate action lectures and more, bringing in over 350 participants from all age groups. I am also a core member of Fridays For Future Nagoya and have participated in Climate Reality Leadership Corps training in Tokyo hosted by Al Gore to cultivate a broad view of the climate crisis. By writing this blog (from the world’s largest island: Australia!), I hope to share my own learnings and document my own journey to help create a world in which sustainable and eco-friendly choices become the norm!