Japanese Firms Join Initiative To Reduce Plastic Waste


Japanese firms join initiative to reduce plastic waste

A conservation NGO and 10 major Japanese companies plan to work together to step up efforts to reduce plastic waste.

WWF Japan initiated the project as part of efforts to address plastic pollution. Beverage and consumer goods makers are among the participants.

The 10 companies are to work jointly, with a target year of 2025, on eliminating unnecessary use of single-use plastics, switching to alternative materials, and setting ambitious goals for the use of recycled materials.

Beverage firm Suntory says it plans to raise the proportion of recycled or plant-based materials in all its plastic bottles to more than 50 percent by weight from this year, and eventually to 100 percent.

Daily goods maker Unilever Japan says it will consider selling shampoo by weight to use less packaging.

About 8 million tons of plastic waste is estimated to flow into the world's oceans annually. The issue will be on the agenda at a UN Environment Assembly meeting due to start at the end of this month.

WWF Japan CEO Tobai Sadayoshi says plastic pollution poses a threat to wildlife, and that his organization will promote the initiative to prevent a crisis.