Japan to Work with Asian Countries over Marine Plastic Waste

Tokyo, Aug. 20 (Jiji Press)--Japan plans to cooperate with China and Southeast Asian countries to fight the tide of plastic waste flowing into the oceans, Environment Ministry officials told Jiji Press. The ministry intends to request hundreds of millions of yen under the budget for the fiscal year starting in April 2019 to cover costs for standardizing ways to measure microplastics with these countries. Most of marine plastic waste appears to come from developing countries. Such waste from the Group of Seven top industrial countries, including Japan, accounts for 2 pct of the global total, according to a study by researchers including Jenna Jambeck, associate professor at the University of Georgia's College of Engineering. The share of Group of 20 member economies other than the G-7 nations plus the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is 65 pct, according to the study. Japan's planned collaboration with China and the ASEAN members will focus on microplastics, for which there is no unified measurement that would allow for international comparisons. Japan aims to invite researchers from these countries to consider basics such as whether to count microplastics by unit or volume as well as technical matters including the size of meshes when collecting such waste by net from ships. The ministry plans to check microplastics levels in these countries and to host international symposiums by experts. It will also investigate microplastics distribution conditions in Asia as well as harmful related substances. Japan hopes that the collaboration with the Asian countries will help it take the leadership in addressing the issue of marine plastic waste when it assumes the G-20 presidency next year. END