The Self-Governing Community and the Agreement
In order to resolve global warming, one of the solution is to speed up the implementation of "The Paid-Plastic Bag System". From January last year, Aeon started to implement this system in one of the shops in Kyoto, and they predicted to implement this system to approximately one-fourth of their 350 stores by the end of year 2008. They said that the plastic-bag reduction will increase to about 10,1300,0000 pieces in one year.
Uny also implemented this system in 98 stores, and Japan Consumer Co-operative Union (Co-op) applied this system to 64 of its affiliated stores.
In year 2007, there was an amendment in the policy regarding the recycle of packaging, and the plastic-bag reduction policy was enforced among the retailers. Each self-governing community which pays attention to the environmental issue, both the local people and the distributors tied an agreement to encourage customers to accept "The Paid-Plastic Bag System", putting effort to spread this system more.
Aeon coorperated with Kyoto and other areas to charge 5 yen per each plastic bag, and this resulted in 80% of the customers brought their own bag to the stores. Since the impact to both customers' inconvenience and sales was small, they could judge that the customers gained more understanding about the system, and then negotiated the system actively with the self-governing community. Under 16 prefectures including Hokkaido, JUSCO and MaxValu, one after another started to implement this system and spread it out.
The other prefectures, like Oita Prefecture and 16 self-governing communities are progressing towards the implementation of "The Paid-Plastic Bag System", and "it seems possible to accelerate and implement this systemuntil year 2012".
The Co-op, which initiated the "The Paid-Plastic Bag System", took the lead by reducing 3,8800,0000 plastic bags in 2007. Stores like Ito-Yokado and Izumiya had started to implement this system. According to the Ministry of Environment, the amount of plastic bags used per year is approximately 300,0000,0000 pieces. In big cities with many consumers like Tokyo and Osaka, the implementation of this system is a bit late, and this becomes an issue in the future.
Comments: It is good that major department stores had already recognized the need to reduce the use of plastic bags despite of some inconvenience that might be caused. However, there are still many stores in Tokyo and Osaka, and other prefectures including Oita Prefecture which still does not implement the system. Honestly, we do not really feel the urgency of not using plastic bags, because there has not been any campaign or actions regarding this matter. In the future, it might be good if the stores in Oita Prefecture would initiate this project.
NUGROHO Katarina Marsha Utama
Indonesia
APM2, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
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