The first time I travelled to Japan, I remember being shocked at how much plastic was used on a daily basis – individual fruits wrapped in plastic; pastries placed into plastic bags, then bagged up again in plastic; new shoes individually wrapped in plastic bags. There seemed to be very little culture around minimal plastic waste.
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For my second visit to Japan, earlier this year, I decided to make a real effort to travel as plastic-free as possible. Japan has a pretty average record on recycling for a developed nation, recycling only about 20 per cent and incinerating 80 per cent of their waste.
Their waste system does a good job of capturing plastic before it gets into waterways and oceans, but the incineration process is heavily dependent on fossil fuel-generated power.
If you’re planning to go to Japan and want to travel sustainably, here are a few tips:
– Buy a set of reusable chopsticks and carry it with you – fine dining or not, a lot of restaurants supply you with disposable chopsticks wrapped in plastic. These are also largely created from unsustainably logged forests;
– Wash your hands before eating rather than using disposable sanitised hand tissues given to you (also wrapped in plastic);
– Take a spacious backpack or extra carry bag with you when you go grocery or retail shopping;
– If you go to a bakery or a food takeaway shop/vendor insist that your food be wrapped in absolute minimal plastic;
– Learn or take a screenshot on your phone of Japan's recycling symbols so that you can recycle the waste correctly;
– Try to do grocery shopping or even eat meals at markets that use less plastic wrapping;
– Take a reusable drink bottle with your everywhere.
I definitely encountered a lot of surprised shopkeepers when I said I didn’t want a bag. I find that a quick Google search about your destination’s recycling habits and waste can help you travel in a much more sustainable manner.