Results Presented of Nationwide Survey for Promoting System of Charging for Plastic Bags

The Nationwide Network Conducting 3Rs for Containers and Packages (3R Network) organized a presentation on April 15, 2008. The group promoting the 3R concepts of "Reduce," "Reuse" and "Recycle" presented the results of a survey on plastic shopping bags at supermarkets and convenience stores throughout Japan, which was conducted during the "No Plastic Bag Day" campaign from October to December 2007. The following questions had been asked and a total of 13,259 persons had responded:
1. Did you receive a plastic shopping bag?
2. Why did you need the plastic bag?
3. Do you agree to be charged for plastic bags?

In response to the first question, 51 percent of the respondents answered that they did not receive a plastic bag while 49 percent of them had received a plastic bag, an almost equal percentage. In response to the second question, there were three major reasons that people had received a plastic shopping bag. "The store gave me a bag," "I forgot to bring my own bag," and "I needed a bag." Regarding the issue of charging for plastic shopping bags, 78 percent of the respondents agreed to the idea. Therefore, the 3R Network estimates that the percentage of people who decline receiving plastic shopping bags could be increased by 20 percent from the current level by charging for plastic bags.

At the presentation, Mr. Takakazu Ishii, a governor of Toyama prefecture, gave a keynote speech. Mr. Ishii is known as a governor who has introduced a charge on plastic shopping bags throughout the prefecture from April 1, 2008, by setting an agreement. At the panel discussion, some experts gave speeches, including Mr. Hiroshi Yamada, a mayor of Suginami Ward of Tokyo and Mr. Seiichi Ueyama, an executive manager in the Environmental and Social Contribution Department of Aeon Co. Suginami Ward established the first ordinance in Japan promoting a charge on plastic shopping bags in March 2008. Aeon is a major Japanese supermarket operator, and plans to stop offering free plastic shopping bags at about 1,000 shops in Japan by 2012. All panel members agreed that the most effective way of reducing plastic bag usage was to set a charge on them.

It is estimated that about 15 percent of all plastic containers and packages produced in Japan are plastic shopping bags. With the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law, which was revised in 2006, retail stores consuming more than 50 metric tons of plastic bags per year are required to submit a report on their effort to reduce plastic bag consumption.

Other local governments, including Hokkaido, Saitama, Shizuoka, Mie and Okinawa prefectures, are promoting a charge on plastic shopping bags at major supermarkets from October 2008. With the aim of reducing waste and preventing global warming, such systems of charging for plastic shopping bags throughout a local area by cooperating with the local government or through an agreement are gaining popularity across the country.

- Local Gov't, Supermarket Agree on Plastic Bag Reduction (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/026534.html
- Supermarket Aeon Starts Charging for Plastic Shopping Bags in Kyoto (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/026629.html
- Charge for Plastic Shopping Bags Begins Throughout Toyama Prefecture (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/027108.html

Posted: 2009/01/12 06:00:15 AM