Tag - waste-environment

 
 

WASTE ENVIRONMENT

Shibuya Mayor Ken Hasebe (second from right) and Aikasa founder Shoji Marukawa (second from left) hold rental umbrellas during a media briefing on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 19, 2024
Shibuya launches initiative to set up 150 new umbrella-sharing stands
The initiative envisions a reduction of 76.1 tons in carbon dioxide emissions and 29.1 tons in waste per year.
Auto parts maker Toyoda Gosei makes bags and other items by reusing its mainstay air bag products.
JAPAN
May 7, 2024
Upcycling efforts spread among Japanese companies
Japanese companies are increasingly engaging in upcycling efforts, or adding new value to used products and waste materials, as part of their environmental and social contributions and to generate profits.
Climate change, with its natural disasters, is putting nuclear facilities and weapons complexes at risk.
COMMENTARY
Apr 4, 2024
Climate change and nuclear waste are a toxic stew
Nuclear power could be a crucial part of a clean-energy transition, but not if it comes with a high risk of multiple Fukushima-like catastrophes.
Leftover premium-brand chocolate, originally slated for disposal, is made available for purchase at a discount in Tokyo's Chuo Ward on Feb. 15, the day after Valentine's Day.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 3, 2024
Efforts to reduce food waste find support in Japan but still face challenges
Initiatives are being introduced to avoid the waste of seasonal delicacies, but challenges such as entrenched commercial customs persist.
McDonald's Japan will start charging ¥5 for plastic bags of all sizes at some stores, starting in April.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 20, 2024
McDonald's Japan announces trial ¥5 plastic bag charge to curb usage
The firm will eye expanding the fee nationwide following a trial at 23 of its stores in Nagasaki Prefecture starting in April.
Staff at the Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon 2023 collect used paper cups after the event on Oct. 15.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 9, 2023
Japanese paper-makers pioneer domestic recycling of paper cups
Until now paper cups have typically been discarded as flammable waste, but are made from high quality pulp that can be reused.
The Environment Ministry plans to launch a survey in fiscal 2024 on how manufacturers recycle plastics and metals contained in industrial waste.
JAPAN
Aug 28, 2023
Japan to conduct survey on closed-loop recycling
Closed-loop recycling is spreading in recent years on the back of improvements in technology to remove impurities from recyclable waste.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 15, 2023
How South Korea puts its food scraps to good use
South Korea, which banned food scraps from its landfills almost 20 years ago, now turns the vast majority of it into animal feed, fertilizer and fuel for heating homes.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 23, 2023
Realizing the power of bokashi and microorganisms in farming
Farmers worldwide have shown a preference for bokashi, whose top proponents include Okinawa-based researcher Teruo Higa, over traditional composting because it is much quicker to prepare.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Dec 26, 2022
Local governments and businesses in Japan promote food drives
The programs are attracting attention not only as a means of support for the poor, but also as a measure to reduce food waste.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Fukushima
Nov 28, 2022
Fukushima firm turns vegetable waste into eco-friendly plastic
The technology could enable cellulose to be mass-produced at a fraction of the usual price.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Nov 7, 2022
‘Plastic-free’: Fukuoka man's monthlong project highlights wider waste issue
A Fukuoka man has shared his quest to buy products in reusable containers to avoid single-use plastic.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 17, 2022
Toilet-maker plans to recycle plastic waste into sidewalks
Only 9% of plastic is currently recycled globally, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Jul 27, 2022
Faster growth may help bacteria remove lake plastic waste, study says
Chemicals leaking from plastic waste make bacteria grow faster in European lakes, which could provide a natural way to remove plastic pollution from freshwater ecosystems.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health / FOCUS
Jul 2, 2022
What it’s like to try living green in China
It's not easy for Chinese consumers to make informed choices about their carbon footprint because the country lags behind in requiring and policing product information.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 18, 2022
A U.N. pact may restrict plastic production. Big Oil aims to stop it.
U.N. members are set to meet this month to draft the blueprint for a global plastics treaty. That's a problem for Big Oil, with the plastic industry set to double output within 20 years.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 21, 2021
Private equity falling out of love with plastic packaging
Many buyout firms are steering clear while some holding assets are struggling to offload them at palatable prices, as environmental factors become dealmakers and breakers.
BUSINESS
Jun 18, 2019
Canada in talks with Malaysia about taking back plastic waste
The government of Canada said on Monday it is in discussions with Malaysia about retrieving plastic waste that originated from Canada and is currently in Malaysia.

Longform

Eme-Ima Kitchen is one of over 10,000 kodomo shokudō in Japan. A term first used in 2012 to describe makeshift eateries offering free or cheap meals to disadvantaged kids, it now refers to a diverse range of individuals, groups and organizations working to provide not only food but a sense of belonging to both children and adults.
Japan’s ‘children’s cafeterias’ are booming — but is that a good thing?