Job Discussion Forums

[Black_Beer_Man]

This country seems to have a love affair with plastic. It's too bad really because, as everybody knows, plastic is one of the worst materials for the environment and human health. Yet, you see it used in the following cases:

food wrap for fruits and vegetables

to wrap every individual cookie in a box of cookies (plus the package and tray the cookies come in).

bento boxes

the dry cleaning shops are only too happy to wrap my clothes in plastic and then offer me a plastic bag to carry them in (which I always refuse politely).

I became aware of the huge amount of plastic waste because when I separate my garbage every week, over half of it is plastic packaging.

One area that I must give this country credit for is cleaning product refills (which are sold in plastic envelopes). These are a better alternative than buying another bottle of cleaner. I wish the cleaning product companies back in my home country would offer these.

I don't mean to complain, but I hate to see this lovely country inundated by toxic plastic waste (most of which is not recycled).

[Pitarou]

I don't know where you're getting your information from.

Concerns about PCBs notwithstanding, plastic is not considered especially toxic. The biggest plastic-associated risk is suffocation.

In Japan, waste that is not recycled is usually burned. A modern, properly maintained incinerator should give off virtually no toxic residues when burning plastic.

The "save the earth, don't use a plastic bag" campaigns are mostly a red herring. The quantity of plastic in a plastic bag is so small as to be insignificant compared to the environmental impact of what you put inside it. Of course, you have to dispose of the bag properly, but that's not really an issue in Japan. The system of discounts for supermarket customers who refuse a plastic bag is a form of price discrimination -- the environment impact is negligible.

I have something of a bee in my bonnet about this, because I have to teach a chapter of a textbook which parrots the same "don't use plastic bags" environmental-figleaf message every year.

[Maitoshi]

Have to agree with Pitarou, here. Probably more of an environmental impact on the creation side of the equation than on the disposal side, at least in Japan.

[kah5217]

You do have to admit that some of the packaging is ridiculous. I bought a box of saltine crackers, and they were bundled into six tiny pouches instead of two.

[Black_Beer_Man]

[Black_Beer_Man]

Why is it that when I buy a family size package of cookies in Japan, I feel like I am getting more plastic packaging that actual cookies?

[Maitoshi]

[fat_chris]

[Maitoshi]

If they didn't package them in this way, I could just see the obasans pulling their favorite bananas off of each bunch.

[Maitoshi]

If they didn't package them in this way, I could just see the obasans pulling their favorite bananas off of each bunch.

[Pitarou]

[Black_Beer_Man]

The farming issues are public policy, something that takes time to change because the public must protest.

However, personal consumption is something one can change immediately.

Pitarou, since you're saying that the personal consumption of plastic is "small beer", do you also advocate that people take more than they truly need?

The next time that I am offered plastic bags at the supermarket, should I ask for triple bagging? How about leaving my windows open on a hot day while I run the air conditioning?

I once had an argument with this guy over consuming too much water. He told me that it was okay to run the water for as long as he wanted for washing his hands or showering because that water would not be filthy and would just go back into the river where it would be reused.

What he failed to take into account is the electricity that the water filtration plants use to clean the water.

It seemed to me that he was just trying to justify his wasteful habits.

Anyway, with this thread, I am merely questioning whether we "need" so much plastic packaging in Japan.

[Pitarou]

[rxk22]

I think plastic is an environmental pollutant. I think it is pretty dangerous as well, and should be scaled back in how much it is used.

http://news.discovery.com/human/health/bpa-plastic-food-hormones-chemicals-110715.htm

Even BPA free plastics still have hormone disrupting chemicals.

There are some far reaching consequences of plastic pollutions to the human body, which include, disruption/early onset of puberty, as well as lowering the sperm count in men.

I personally use plastic as little as possible, but even that is still quite a bit.

I hate when my wife microwaves everything with sarinwrap on it.

Also, plastic is incredibly polluting to the ocean. As it doesn't eventually sink like bottles, wood, and whatnot.

[Pitarou]