From bento boxes to individually wrapped bananas, plastic reigns supreme in Japan. According to the UN, Japan generates more plastic packaging waste per capita than any other country except the United States.

從便當盒到個別包裝的香蕉，塑膠包裝在日本非常盛行。據聯合國統計，日本是美國之外，人均塑膠包裝廢棄物最多的國家。

Therefore, in 2018, Japan’s government unveiled a proposal with the goal of reducing the country’s 9.4 million tonnes of plastic waste a year by 25 percent by 2030. A key part of the proposal is to require businesses to charge for plastic bags.

因此，日本政府在2018年公布一項提案，希望讓日本每年940萬噸的塑膠廢棄物，在2030年前減少25%，關鍵做法之一就是要求商家對塑膠袋收費。

However, the proposals so far still lack any specific measures on limiting other types of single-use plastic waste, such as straws or cups. With the national government moving slowly, local governments and businesses have in some cases taken up the mantle themselves.

然而，在限制吸管、杯子等其他一次性塑膠廢棄物方面，這項提案至今仍欠缺詳細措施。由於中央政府進展緩慢，地方政府和企業已率先在某些層面扮演領頭羊。

While public awareness about plastic pollution is growing in Japan, the country’s famed waste sorting and pristine streets had the effect of "hiding" the scale of the problem. The Japanese government needs more ambitious goals.

雖然日本對於塑膠污染的公眾意識正在提升，但這個國家知名的垃圾分類系統及乾淨的街道，有效「掩飾」了這個問題的規模。日本政府必須設立更宏大的目標。

Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1289047