Japan wants to make reducing the glut of plastic waste in the oceans a priority ...
TOKYO - Japan wants to make reducing the glut of plastic waste in the oceans a priority at the Group of 20 summit it is hosting this month as governments around the world crack down on such pollution.
Such moves are setting up a showdown with the oil industry, which is pouring billions into new facilities to produce more plastic and other petrochemical products, particularly in Asia. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, which is hosting the G20 summit, says he wants his country to lead the world in reducing marine plastic trash, including developing biodegradables and other innovations.
Japanese bureaucrats are working on a law that would require retailers to charge customers for plastic bags - something many supermarkets already do. “My fear is that will say that plastic production isn’t the problem, it’s waste management,” he added. “We’re saying plastic is a problem you need to tackle at the source.”
Asia is also home to the biggest contributors to the estimated 8 million metric tons of plastic trash that winds up in the ocean each year, according to research published in the journal Science. Plastic was even found last month at the bottom of the Marianas Trench, off the Philippines, the deepest place on Earth.The region’s leading oil companies, including Sinopec, Reliance, Malaysia’s Petronas and China’s Hengli Petrochemical, are investing billions of dollars into new petrochemical facilities.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Trump says he will raise tariffs if Xi fails to meet him at G20US President Donald Trump has threatened to slap tariffs on another $300 billion of Chinese exports to the United States if China's leader Xi Jinping doesn't meet him at the G20 in Japan.
Read more »
First stop Southeast Asia: SoftBank, Toyota's autonomous car venture heads overseasThe self-driving car joint venture of SoftBank Corp and Toyota Motor plans to be...
Read more »
Stocks in Asia set to slide following overnight slip on Wall StreetShares in Asia Pacific were set to trade mixed on Thursday following an overnight slip for stocks on Wall Street.
Read more »
Planemakers race for wide-body orders in Asia showdownAirbus and Boeing are battling for wide-body aircraft orders worth well over $10...
Read more »
Asia Pacific shares set to trade mixed as Dow winning streak endsShares in Asia Pacific were poised to trade mixed on Wednesday following an overnight trading session on Wall Street that saw the end of the Dow Jones Industrial Average's winning streak.
Read more »