| |
| |
![]() |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
TOKYO : Japan has announced a draft plan to stop retailers from giving out plastic bags for free amid efforts to improve the environment in the nation where the landmark Kyoto Protocol was sealed.
The proposal by the environment ministry would cut back on Japan's widespread use of plastic bags either through legislation or agreements with industry to end free distribution.
"If everything goes as scheduled, the bill to ban free distribution of plastic bags will be sent to the parliament in 2006 at the earliest," an environment ministry official said.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry plans to present its own report on the bag issue on Thursday after which the two ministries will finalize details.
Plastic bags are regularly distributed without asking by Japanese merchants. According to a survey by the Kyoto government, 10 percent of the plastic garbage in the western city comes from bags given by retailers.
"There are no similar nationwide statistics, but we expect charging for plastic bags will reduce a significant amount of garbage from households," the environment ministry official said.
The Japanese government faces an uphill battle to meet its target under the Kyoto Protocol of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions six percent by 2008-2012 from the 1990 level. It hopes to achieve the goal partly by reducing the amount of household rubbish.
- AFP /ct
|
