Environmental sustainability is a global hot topic. Japan produces more plastic packaging waste per capita than any other nation except the U.S., and so the Japanese government recently announced that all retailers, including supermarkets and convenience stores, must charge for plastic bags from next summer.
Solving plastic pollution is one of the greatest challenges facing the world today. Globally, 360 million tonnes of new plastic are produced every year and up to 12.7 million tonnes of plastic waste leaks into the oceans, which leads to irreversible harm to biodiversity and the environment. Less than 10% of plastic ever made has been recycled.
