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Governance and Innovation in Plastic Waste Management: The Case of Japan
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Researchers examined Japan's plastic waste governance framework, finding that despite generating over eight million tons of plastic waste annually, less than a quarter is materially recycled, with thermal recycling dominating and regulatory innovation lagging behind the scale of the pollution challenge.
This study investigates plastic waste management, focusing on Japan. The volume of plastic waste in Japan is more than eight million tons, and less than a quarter of the plastic waste is subjected to recycling. Considering that Japan is an archipelago consisting of a combination of four large islands and numerous smaller ones, plastic waste that enters the ocean poses significant threats to marine life, birds, other living beings, and beach pollution. This research explores the underlying factors that have made Japan one of the highest users of plastic. In addition, this study evaluates different strategies that are utilized in Japan to deal with the reduction in plastic utilization and plastic waste. The final section of the study proposes strategies that can reduce utilization of plastic and production of plastic waste and the new and future outlook for replacement of plastic.
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This review examines how China's 2018 ban on importing waste plastics forced Japan and the United States to confront domestic plastic recycling challenges, analyzing policy responses at the G7 level and evaluating the structural barriers and emerging strategies for building sustainable plastic recycling infrastructure.
The Policy of Plastic Waste Reduction: A Case of Kanagawa Zero Plastic Waste Declaration
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This paper examines Kanagawa Prefecture's zero plastic waste declaration and its follow-through policies, including Japan's national mandatory plastic bag fee introduced in 2020. The study evaluates how local government actions complement national regulation in reducing plastic pollution. It offers lessons for other regional governments seeking to go beyond minimum regulatory requirements on plastic waste.
A Look at the Status of Microplastic Pollution Trends and Possible Solution Frameworks
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This Japanese review examines the current status of microplastic pollution trends in marine environments and evaluates possible solution frameworks, including source reduction, improved waste management, and international cooperation. The review emphasizes that preventing single-use plastic consumption must be the central strategy in any effective response.
A survey of the ocean’s plastic waste problem, and some policy developments of the Philippines
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This paper provides a broad survey of the scale and sources of plastic pollution entering the world's oceans, reviewing the environmental and ecological consequences of accumulation across marine environments. The authors propose a range of policy interventions — spanning production limits, waste management reform, and international cooperation — aimed at reducing plastic inputs at their source.
Marine Debris Management and Policies Against Plastic Pollution in Japan and in South East Asia
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This report covers Japan's marine plastic waste countermeasures and policies presented at an international conference on marine plastic pollution in Taiwan. The presentation highlighted Japanese government initiatives and community-level programs alongside contributions from US and Korean experts on addressing plastic pollution.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.