Seashores and rivers in various parts of the world are covered with plastic waste such as bottles that have drifted ashore. Measures to address this problem should be sped up through international cooperation.
Plastics, which are cheap, light and highly durable, have permeated our daily lives in the form of food containers, checkout bags, packaging for electric appliances and furniture.
Because of their usefulness, massive amounts of plastic products have been all the more utilized in various fields.
The problem is that once plastic bottles and such are thrown away, they cannot break down in soil or water. They will remain in the natural world virtually forever, giving rise to environmental destruction.
That the problem of plastic waste has been taken up as an important subject at such venues as a summit of the Group of Seven industrialized countries can be considered the price to pay for the huge amount of plastic consumed in the past.
Given that it has become more important to reduce dependence on fossil fuels as a way to address global warming, refraining from the use of plastics -- which are made from oil -- would be a natural course of action to take.
However, it will be difficult to eliminate plastics all at once. The so-called 3Rs -- reduce, reuse and recycle -- should be advanced steadily for plastics by the whole world.
It is indispensable that in particular, countries including Japan and China and those in Europe and North America, which produce and consume a large amount of plastic, actively grapple with this challenge.
Make use of technology
A subcommittee of the Central Environment Council has launched a discussion to work toward drawing up a national strategy on promoting the reduction and reuse of plastic waste. It will work out within this fiscal year targets such as one to reduce single-use plastics like checkout bags and straws.
There are a number of countries where the use of plastic checkout bags is banned or a fee is charged. Even in Japan, some stores have introduced the fee system. In order to more effectively reduce plastic waste, the government needs to let consumers know about the seriousness of the problem.
It is also necessary to increase the recycling rate of waste plastics, while taking into account the burden on the environment of burning them. The important thing is to eliminate burying and illegally dumping these wastes.
Sorting plastic waste for collection from households has taken root in society. Nevertheless, foreign matter such as metals are often mixed up with plastics, making it necessary to manually sort the waste again before recycling it. Using artificial intelligence in this process would help reduce the costs.
Making use of Japan's waste-collection system and its recycling technologies in developing countries is a useful international contribution.
It is also hoped a plastic that can decompose in the natural world will be developed. Research is advancing at universities, companies and other places. Should one be put to practical use, this could be a surefire solution to the problem of plastic garbage.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Aug. 21, 2018)
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
