Going To Waste: Japan's Plastic Problem

TOKYO, JAPAN - NOVEMBER 09: Plastic sheeting covers the ground at a vacant housing plot on November 9, 2020 in Tokyo, Japan. Despite its size, Japan is the world's second largest exporter of plastic waste after the USA and is second only to the US in consumption of single-use plastic packaging per person. Around 10 million tons of plastic is produced a year - the third highest amount in the world - with roughly three quarters being discarded within 12 months. Although the government has made efforts recently to address the issue, it declined, along with the USA, to sign a 2017 agreement between G7 countries to reduce the amount of plastic waste in the worlds oceans and cut down on the usage of single-use plastics, such as straws, bottles and cups. Japan has one of the lowest plastic recycling rates among OECD countries - with approximately 75 percent of waste sent to incinerators where it has to be burnt using ultra-high-temperature furnaces and filter systems to avoid releasing dioxins. However, the resulting exhaust fumes contribute to climate change. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)