The government plans to require retailers beginning next July to charge for the plastic bags they distribute to shoppers. It is part of an overall effort to reduce wasteful use of disposable plastics that are produced and consumed in massive volumes worldwide.

The move is a step forward for Japan, where efforts to reduce disposable plastic waste have lagged behind countries in Europe and Asia, such as China and Indonesia, that have already taken steps to ban either the production of such bags or their free distribution. According to a recent Cabinet Office survey, nearly 90 percent of the respondents said they are interested in the plastic waste problem, and not accepting disposable plastic bags at shops was the leading answer they cited when asked how they intend to deal with the issue themselves.

However, those disposable bags account for just a tiny portion of all plastic waste — a mere 2 percent of the 9 million tons produced annually in Japan, according to some estimates — even though they are often vilified as a symbol of the disposable plastic problem due to their widespread use.