Volume of plastic waste Japan 2013-2022

In 2022, the volume of plastic waste in Japan amounted to approximately 8.23 million tons. This represented a decrease from over nine million tons in 2013. Even though the volume of plastic waste generated in Japan decreased throughout the past decade, plastic waste pollution remains a major environmental issue. Plastic takes up to 500 years to decompose and represents a threat to the health of humans and animals when ending up in the food chain in the form of microplastic.

Households generated most waste in Japan

In Japan, most of the overall waste was generated by households, while business-related waste constituted a smaller amount. Plastic packaging and plastic containers made up around half of the household waste since it is commonly used for food and beverage containers and other types of packaging.
With an incineration rate of municipal waste of around 75 percent, incineration represented the most widely used waste treatment method in Japan. Despite filtering technologies, the incineration process produces greenhouse gases that contribute to air pollution and global warming. In contrast, the overall recycling rate remained low at around 20 percent.

Paper is becoming a common substitute for plastic

As a measure to reduce plastic waste, many Japanese companies are starting to replace plastic products with paper products, especially for packaging materials. Paper poses a more sustainable alternative as it is more easily recyclable and is defined as a renewable resource since it is made from wood. Additionally, amounting to over 79 percent, paper had one of the highest recycling rates in Japan.