Japanese firms to scale back on distributing disposable plastics beginning April 1

Japan’s plastic waste recycling and promotion law will take effect on April 1, forcing businesses to reduce their reliance on 12 single-use plastic items, including forks, spoons, and toothbrushes.

The new law requires operators of retail shops, eating and drinking establishments, and accommodation facilities, to set plastic-reduction goals and reconsider how they provide these kinds of items.

They must either charge for the item, ask customers if they want the item, give benefit points to customers who refuse plastic products, make plastic products more lightweight or use more eco-friendly materials, or provide recyclable products.

These businesses were previously obliged to charge for plastic shopping bags, but now they can choose from other options.

According to the Environment Ministry, only a few business operators that currently provide free plastic products will start charging for them, while most plan to take alternative measures, such as switching the type of items they hand out.

In January, FamilyMart Co. came up with lightweight spoons and forks with holes in the handles in January. It also tentatively stopped handing out forks and other plastic items to customers at 10 stores in Tokyo on March 10.

Seven-Eleven Japan Co. will use plastic spoons and forks made up of about 30 percent of plant-derived materials.

Meanwhile, Lawson Inc. will not only phase in lightweight spoons and forks with holes in the handles but will also adopt wooden spoons in its Tokyo and Osaka stores.

But convenience store chains will not charge for the items because they believe it would be too difficult to obtain agreements from franchise store owners.

Critics say Japan’s new law lacks teeth and will achieve little compared to what is being done in other countries.

“The fundamental solution is not changing the materials or saving on weight,” said Hiromasa Otate, who works on plastics issues for Greenpeace. “(The government) should have ordered operators to charge fees or prohibited them from handing out (plastics).”