The ” Law Concerning the Promotion of Resource Recycling of Plastics” (Plastic Resource Recycling Law), which was approved by the Cabinet in March 2021, will finally come into effect in April 2022. The law targets the reduction of 12 specified plastic-using products, including straws served in restaurants and cafes, as well as forks, spoons, and knives for takeout.
In this column, we will introduce key points to understand about the “Plastics Recycling Law” and specific plastic reduction measures, with examples. We hope you will find it useful as a hint for considering your own measures.
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Table of Contents
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- What is the Plastic Resource Recycling Law?
- [The measures to be taken and examples of reference cases]
- 1. Eliminate the provision of products using plastic
- 2. Provide plastic alternatives
- 3. Switch to alternatives that can be used repeatedly
- 4. Plastic reduction such as weight reduction
- 5. Confirmation of intention of necessity/non-necessity
- 6. Provided for a fee
- 7. Points are returned to those who declined the offer
- 8. Development of the system for initiatives
- Editor’s Note
What is the Plastic Resource Recycling Law?
The “Law Concerning the Promotion of Resource Recycling of Plastics” aims to reduce the disposal of plastics and promote their recycling as a resource in order to address various environmental issues surrounding plastics. The law, which was approved by the Cabinet in March 2021, is also known as the “Plastic Resources Recycling Law,” “Plastic Recycling Law,” or “New Plastic Law,” and is scheduled to go into effect on April 1, 2022.
The law promotes the 3Rs (Reuse, Reduce, Recycle) + Renewable.
Reduce: Reduce waste generation. Reduce waste.
Reuse : Reuse products and parts.
Recycle: Use of recycled resources
Renewable: To replace resources with sustainable resources.
Target business operators are required to select effective measures from among the methods of provision and innovations of products using specified plastics, and work on “rationalization of use of products using specified plastics”.
Eligible Businesses
Businesses that provide 12 items designated by the government as products using specified plastics, such as supermarkets, convenience stores, and hotels.
Retailers of various goods ( including non-store retailers)
Food and beverage retailers ( excluding vegetable and fruit retailers, meat retailers, fresh fish retailers, and liquor retailers, including non-store retailers)
Accommodation business
Restaurants
Take-out
Delivery and food services
Laundry business
In addition, businesses that provided 5 tons or more of specified plastic products in the previous fiscal year are classified as “businesses that provide a large amount of specified plastic products” and may receive a recommendation, public announcement, order, etc. if their efforts are significantly inadequate.
Target products (12 items)
Forks, spoons, knives, muddlers, straws, hairbrushes, combs, razors, shower caps, toothbrushes, hangers, clothing covers
Required Initiatives
Devising ways to provide
Confirmation of consumer’s intention to use the product
Offer points to consumers who do not need them.
Provided to consumers for a fee.
Encourage repeat use by consumers provided
Ingenuity of the products offered
Provide products that can be used repeatedly.
・Providing products that use renewable materials and are lighter in weight, etc.
Providing the right size product for the product or service
Checkpoints are defined for setting targets for reducing plastic use, providing information to consumers, monitoring the status of implementation, and disclosing information (see the Ministry of the Environment’s special page ).
In the next section, we would like to introduce actual plastic reduction efforts being made in restaurants, including the elimination of provision, replacement with alternative products, and the development of a system to address the issue, with examples.
[The measures to be taken and examples of reference cases]
1. Eliminate the provision of products using plastic
When you think of “marine plastic waste,” the first thing that comes to mind is plastic straws, which shocked the entire world in 2018 when a video of a single straw stuck in a sea turtle’s nose went viral. Since then, a number of large companies, including Starbucks, McDonald’s, and SKYLARK HOLDINGS CO., LTD., have begun to reduce the use of plastic straws.
In the U.S., in May 2018, the city councils of San Francisco, New York City, and other cities proposed “an ordinance to ban the provision of plastic straws by restaurants in the city”, and in June, Malibu, California became the first major city in the U.S. to begin a total ban. in the EU, in 2019 the “Directive banning the distribution of single-use plastics” was passed, and a ban on the provision of straws, muddlers, cutlery, plates, and other items is in effect from July 3, 2021.
2. providing plastic alternatives
Various products have been developed and marketed as alternatives to plastic straws, including straws made of paper, bamboo, sugarcane, straw, and pasta with holes. 4Nature Corporation’s ” sugarcane straws,” which are used in a cumulative total of approximately 800 cafes, restaurants, and hotels nationwide, collect used straws from each store and turn them into compost at the company’s composting facility in Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture.
And SKYLARK HOLDINGS CO., LTD. which operates a chain of family restaurants, switched cutlery for take-out and delivery from petroleum-based plastic to plant-based biomass plastic in February 2020, and further to wooden cutlery in January 2022 in a phased manner. In January 2022, the switch was made to wooden cutlery. The company has been reducing its environmental impact by switching to bioplastics, and will further reduce the use of disposable bioplastic cutlery by 75% from the 2020 level.
On the other hand, many people may be concerned about the strength and hygiene of paper or wooden cutlery. Daio Paper Corporation manufactures cutlery using “Elipura Paper“, a high-density thick paper developed by the company, which is made from 100% FSC-certified virgin pulp and is not only strong but also water- and oil-resistant.
3. switching to alternatives that can be used repeatedly
When serving drinks in restaurants, straws and muddlers can be made of reusable materials instead of disposable ones. These straws are made from ceramic, glass, silicon, and metals such as stainless steel and titanium. Some products, such as the ceramic Minoyaki straws “MYSTRO,” are now available in a variety of eye-catching colors and patterns.
4. plastic reduction such as weight reduction
Products that reduce the amount of plastic used are also being introduced through ingenious design. Cutlery with a hole in the handle to reduce weight has been introduced by convenience stores Lawson and FamilyMart. According to a FamilyMart press release, the spoons with holes in the handles reduce plastic by about 12% compared to conventional spoons.
5. confirmation of intention of necessity/non-necessity
Asking customers to confirm whether straws and cutlery are necessary or unnecessary is one way to reduce unnecessary consumption of the target products. However, when plastic bags were made chargeable in July 2020, some customers said that the time and effort required to check them increased. Recently, an increasing number of stores are providing “communication support boards” for people who need communication assistance, such as foreigners who do not speak Japanese or people with hearing or speech impairments. Customers can confirm their intentions by pointing to illustrations or letters on the board. Data that can be used immediately is available free of charge on local government websites, so why not check them out?
6. offered for a fee
Chiba University is conducting a demonstration experiment to abolish plastic & charge for paper straws in 2019. When the University Co-op temporarily stopped distributing plastic straws to those who purchased 500mL paper-pack beverages and sold paper straws as an alternative for 5 yen per straw, 48.6% of users refrained from purchasing straws, thus reducing the amount of straws used by half.
When switching to a fee-based service, making preparations in advance, such as creating in-store signage or including it in the menu, may lighten the burden of explaining and informing customers each time they place an order. Regularly posting information on websites and social networking sites may also be effective.
7. Points are returned to those who declined the offer.
It is also recommended that points be issued to those who decline the offer of plastic products that can be used at the store. Depending on the point redemption rate and benefits, this could lead to an increase in repeat business. In addition, the use of point card applications and digital point cards such as LINE Shop Card can reduce the time and resources required to make cards. It would also eliminate the need for customers to carry them around and prevent them from being lost.
8. Development of the system for initiatives
The Sustainability Committee, Sustainability Promotion Office, and other promotion organizations will take the lead in setting goals, monitoring progress, and evaluating achievements to effectively promote initiatives for the effective use of plastics and reduction of plastic usage.
In addition, creating a forum for bringing up ideas for initiatives within the company and appointing a promotion leader would provide an opportunity for each staff member to confront the plastics issue. Furthermore, inviting experts to hold seminars and workshops and promoting initiatives together with co-creation partners will help spread awareness within the company more effectively.
Editor’s Note
How was it? In this column, I have introduced some points to understand about the “Plastic Resources Recycling Law” and some specific measures to reduce plastic. However, in addition to the 12 items, drink cups, covers, chopstick bags, and containers may also be subject to reduction in the future. In fact, some restaurants are already reducing plastic products other than the 12 items.
According to a survey conducted by marketing research firm Macromill, Inc., approximately 80% of respondents answered that “companies offering environmentally friendly packages and products have a good image. About 54% of respondents said they “do not need packaging or disposable products that affect the environment even if it is slightly inconvenient,” and about 36% said they “would prefer to buy products with environmentally friendly packaging even if the price goes up. Not limited to measures against the Plastic Recycling Law, it is likely that restaurants’ commitment to sustainability will lead to the creation of restaurants that will gain the sympathy of their customers.
[Related Article]
[Related page] NIKKO Sustainable Selection: For restaurants and hotels considering sustainable procurement
[Reference Site] Ministry of the Environment: Rationalization of the Use of Specific Plastic Products
[Reference Site] SKYLARK HOLDINGS CO., LTD.: Countermeasures against the Plastic Problem
[Reference Site] ELIPLA product series
[Reference Site] Famima’s 40th anniversary “40 good things!?” Food safety, security, and eco-friendliness: Reducing the amount of plastic used in lunchboxes and soup spoons by approximately 12%.
[Reference Site] Yamaguchi City: Communication Support Board has been set up.
[Reference Site] Halving the amount of straws used: Demonstration experiment to abolish plastic and charge for paper straws.
[Reference Site] Attitude survey on de-plasticization. More than half of respondents said they “don’t need” packaging and products that have an impact on the environment (Macromill survey).