"The actual cost of plastic bags" and "Japanese people's change"
One thing you may be surprised in Japan is the excessive packaging of products.
When you buy a pack of cookies in Japan, the cookies inside may be individually wrapped.
 |
 |
When you buy clothes at an apparel store in Japan, they may first be wrapped in a plastic bag and then put in a paper bag.
The main purposes of this excessive packaging are probably to handle the products carefully (so they won't break), to make the products look nice, or to show customers some respect.
But, it's obvious that excessive packaging is against the global trend towards environmental protection.
So, these days, more and more Japanese are becoming conscious of how they can reduce the amount of wasteful packaging.
 |
 |
One of the easiest and most effective ways is to carry your own bag (called "エコバッグ[eko bag]") and not receive plastic bags at stores.
Especially at supermarkets.
In the supermarket in Japan, a thin bag "Plastic bag (called "レジ袋[Reji bukuro]")" to take the commodity that the customer bought home has been always offered to the customer free of charge.
Most Japanese supermarkets have long been providing their customers with free plastic bags.
In Japan, the number of sheets of consumption was 30 billion a year.
Not only the generation control of garbage but also decreasing the use of plastic bag because the raw material of plastic bag is crude oil leads to the saving of the resource.
So, more and more supermarkets are now encouraging customers to carry their own bags.
Though some supermarkets give discounts to customers with their own bags, and some charge customers for the actual cost of plastic bags, plastic bag of most supermarkets in Japan is customer's actual cost as of May, 2010.
[Customer's actual cost in Japan is 3-5yen (3.3-5.5cent)]
Consumers are also making an attempt to carry their own bags.
Some bag makers have made cute, colorful and design-conscious shopping bags.
These shopping bags are now called "エコバッグ(Eco-bags)" and they have attracted consumers.
Especially the younger generations.
 |
 |
For them, to make efforts to protect the environment is not only something they "have to" do, but also something they can enjoy doing as part of their fashion.
Present-day Japanese people is very egocentric.
If plastic bag was not customer's actual expenses, the Japanese might not have used Eco-bags.
The Japanese tends to love new product, and to spend money for a new product.A lot of energy-saving products are spreading to Japan.
It is true the spread of energy-saving products is a great thing, but, almost all Japanese don't have "Mind that makes an effort only for the environment".
-Paying the expenses out of one's own pocket for the environmental protection.
I think the Japanese lacks this mind.
It's becoming increasingly difficult to know what's good for the environment and what's not.
Hararie
Recent Comment