Jane Goodall Institute Japan - ジェーン・グドール インスティテュート・ジャパン

Ayaka, high schooler who joined JGI from volunteer, started  petition at Change.Org. Check the following message from Ayaka. (Sign the  Online Petition!)

Vegetables and fruits wrapped in plastic trays and bags—this sight has become commonplace in Japanese supermarkets. However, when you take a step back and look at it, the excessive amount of plastic packaging is astonishing. While I want to reduce plastic waste, I often feel helpless in the face of the overflowing plastic trash that comes with purchasing vegetables. Although I understand that this packaging is designed with freshness and hygiene in mind, it might also be one of the reasons why Japan seems to be lagging behind the global movement to reduce plastic waste.

Hello! I’m Ayaka, a high school student. I began tackling the issue of plastic waste just a year ago, during the summer of my first year in high school. I joined a student organization that aims to eliminate plastic within our school, and we have been involved in various activities, including beach cleanups. As our activities progressed, I started wondering what we could do to address the root cause of the plastic problem, rather than just dealing with the symptoms. It was then that I turned my attention to my own life and noticed the plastic-wrapped vegetables in supermarkets.

In Japan, the primary concern when it comes to eliminating vegetable packaging is likely freshness and hygiene. However, is it really necessary to package every vegetable? Upon investigation, I found that certain vegetables, such as leafy greens like spinach and komatsuna, require individual packaging to maintain their quality and freshness due to their high respiration rate after harvest. However, onions are always peeled before use, and root vegetables like burdock and potatoes are always washed before cooking. Moreover, vegetables sold with soil still attached at direct sales outlets, farmers’ markets, and bulk stores, as well as bare vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers, appear to shine brightly in our eyes.

In France, since 2022, regulations have been implemented on the individual packaging of vegetables and fruits in supermarkets, with specific rules for each type. The Ministry of Ecological Transition has shown that this initiative can reduce over a billion plastic packages annually. The EU has already agreed on new laws to reduce packaging and packaging waste, and India has also imposed regulations on plastic materials since 2022.

It is well-known that plastic, made from petroleum-based materials, emits CO2 during production and pollutes the environment, causing damage to the planet. Japan is said to rank second in the world in per capita consumption of single-use plastics. Furthermore, Japan’s export volume of plastic waste to non-OECD countries is notably high, highlighting the limitations of recycling and the delay in countermeasures. Japan’s plastic addiction is affecting our planet.

Of course, eliminating plastic might not lead to a fundamental solution to the problem. However, if we reject the use of plastic under the banner of ‘plastic-free,’ it could lead to an oversimplified view, such as ‘just use other materials,’ which could, in turn, create other issues like deforestation. Still, I believe we can eliminate the use of resources like plastic where they are truly unnecessary.

Just as I cannot remove all the cigarette butts and microplastics on the beach, even if I fill a bag with trash during a beach cleanup, there are issues that cannot be solved by individual awareness alone. However, to reduce the amount of plastic we produce and use and to broaden this awareness from individuals to society, it is essential to involve everyone, from consumers to companies.

Therefore, I would like to ask supermarkets that are very familiar to me, such as AEON and Summit, to take steps to reduce the individual packaging of vegetables through further conversations!  I have seen AEON’s efforts, from selling products made with recycled materials to projects focused on reuse, such as Loop and Bottle to Bottle. Summit has also made significant contributions to reducing plastic waste by introducing non-tray packaging for meat, which significantly cuts down on plastic waste compared to traditional tray packs. I hope that by leading the way in reducing plastic packaging for vegetables, AEON, Summit, and others will inspire more supermarkets to follow suit.

Text: Ayaka

Sign the Petition!