Researchers have investigated the potential in Japan for more sustainable plastic recycling and the market for bioplastics.
Japan has a plastic problem. Thanks in part to an overabundance of packaging, the country is the second largest producer of plastic waste per capita.
"The Japanese government has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. However, the predominant method that Japan uses to get rid of plastic waste is 'thermal recycling' or incineration, which releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere," says senior author Professor Andrew Chapman, from Kyushu University's International Institute for Carbon Neutral Energy and Research.
Recycled plastics, on the other hand, are cheaper and also have a lower global warming potential. However, plastics with a higher blend of recycled material were perceived to be of lower quality and recyclability also varied greatly for each plastic type.
"Food versus plastic production is not a fight we want, as land resources are very limited in Japan," says Prof Chapman. Instead, the researchers suggested further funding for research into cellulose-based bioplastics, which can be sourced from wood pulp.
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