Archive | 2021
‘Stingy, Stingy, Stingy Government’: Mixed Responses to the Introduction of the Plastic Carrier Bag Levy in Japan
Abstract
Plastic Waste Reduction Policies In May 2019, in preparation for the G20 summit in Osaka, the Japanese government published its ‘Plastic Resource Recycling Strategy’ (Purasuchikku shigen junkan senryaku), which established a ten-year target for reducing single-use plastic and increasing reuse and recycling.1 Key components were the introduction of a compulsory minimum 1 yen (0.8 euro cent/1 dollar cent) plastic carrier bag levy for all retail businesses from 1 July 2020 and support for the development of alternative materials to replace plastics. Until now, Japan’s environmental credentials have been mixed. Although the Japanese have an effective waste management system and are admired for their cleanliness and tidiness, according to the UN Environment Programme Japanese consumers bought on average 31kg of plastic packaging with their shopping in 2017, which contributed to Japan being ranked as the world’s second largest generator of plastic packaging waste on a per capita basis after the US. In addition, Japan and the US were the only two countries that did not sign the Ocean Plastics Charter at the G7 Summit in Canada in 2018 aimed at reducing the use of disposable plastic products (UNEP 2018: 5, 24–35). However, China’s ban on the import of plastic waste in 2018 meant that Japan, along with other countries, lost its main destination for exporting much of its recyclable waste. At the same time, mainstream media began to raise the issue of plastic pollution in the ocean as an environmental concern (see NHK 2018) and teaching about UN Sustainable Development Goals has now become part of the school curriculum. With its long coastline, Japan relies heavily on the sea for food, and demanding standards for food safety by consumers have meant that reports of plastic in fish have received considerable attention. With its new strategy for reducing plastic waste, Japan is trying to present itself as a reliable partner on the global stage for tackling environmental issues and the climate crisis in the run-up to the Olympic Games that were originally planned for 2020 in Tokyo. The plastic bag levy was presented as a first step taken by the government to protect the environment. While the policy may show that the government is taking sustainability goals seriously, given the lateness of this measure compared with other countries and its undemanding nature, it can also be seen as a means of avoiding more profound changes (see Nielsen et al. 2019: 434). Japan’s central government’s lacklustre policy towards plastic waste does not necessarily reflect the situation on the ground. It is the municipalities that are in charge of waste management, and many local authorities have had stricter measures in place and are now making renewed efforts to surpass the government’s policy. In February 2020, Koike Yuriko, the Governor of Tokyo, announced financial support for Tokyo municipalities to enable them to collect all types of plastic containers and packaging separately from other waste (Nagano 2020). Already in 2006, during her tenure as Minister of the Environment, Koike had proposed the introduction of a charge for Steger, B. 2021. ‘Stingy, Stingy, Stingy Government’: Mixed Responses to the Introduction of the Plastic Carrier Bag Levy in Japan. Worldwide Waste: Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 4(1): 5, 1–11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/wwwj.69