Summary of Research Findings

The “Act on Promotion of Resource Circulation for Plastics”, issued in June 2021 to promote eco-friendly actions at business entities (such as reducing the use of single use plastics, changing product designs, and shifting to use of alternative materials) was brought into effect on April 1, 2022. Today, many businesses are working on reducing the use of single-use plastics and changing product designs, while also starting to make a switch to biomass materials like paper and wood as the alternatives to plastics. Although the Act does not specifically require the use of marine biodegradable materials, enterprises mostly choose biodegradable materials to avoid impacting environment when they are discarded. As a result, the adoption of marine biodegradable materials is increasing.

Meanwhile, because paper, cellophane, biomass-based composites, and marine biodegradable plastics all have both advantages and disadvantages, there is no single material that has been acknowledged as universally versatile for any application. Manufacturers and users are making a shift from plastics to alternative materials by selecting a material most relevant for specific application, or by combining materials to cover the weak points.

Noteworthy Topics

Legally Binding International Treaty to End Marine Plastic Pollution

In March 2022, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) adopted a resolution “End plastic pollution: towards an international legally binding instrument”, in which member nations agreed to develop a legally binding agreement on plastic pollution by the end of 2024. This has increased a possibility of setting a global framework for a plastic free ocean, which may be as significant as the Paris Agreement (Multilateral Agreement on the Control of Climate Change). Since Japan is likely to be elected to play a leading role in concluding the treaty as a representative of the Asia-Pacific region, it is assumed that domestic companies will be forced to take a step further in the actions against plastic pollution.

Depending on the content of the treaty, strong resistance from the plastics industry may be anticipated. However, along with the initiatives of 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle), attention will be paid to the use of alternative materials to plastic. Gaining achievements one by one and accumulating know-how for practical use of alternative materials will lead to the creation of new business in the future.

Research Outline