They are the ultimate symbol of the throwaway, consumerist society. And with an estimated 30 billion of them circulating in Japan, the country has decided plastic shopping bags are a major problem. Its Ministry of the Environment announced plans on 13 June to introduce a bill to make shoppers pay for them.
And not a moment too soon. Japan churns out 460 million tonnes of waste annually, and much of it is incinerated, releasing harmful dioxins. A survey by Kyoto city showed that 10 per cent of its plastic waste comes from bags. Similar levies in Ireland and Taiwan have…
