Japan aims to standardize biodegradable plastic materials

May 25, 2019

Tokyo--The Japanese government plans to launch a public-private initiative to standardize plastic materials that can be degraded by marine microbes, with the aim of promoting such biodegradable materials, according to informed sources.

The move comes as the fight against marine pollution by plastic waste that cannot be degraded in the natural environment is expected to be one of key issues at the Group of 20 summit in the western Japan city of Osaka in late June.

The government aims to adopt an action plan including the promotion of a switch to biodegradable plastic materials in early June and present it to the June 28-29 summit of the 20 advanced and emerging economies, the sources said.

About 8 million tons of non-biodegradable plastic waste is estimated to be released into the sea around the world a year. This pollution is considered a new environmental challenge, on top of global warming.

According to the industry ministry's plans, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, or AIST, plastics makers and related industry groups will set up an organization for their collaboration by this summer.

The plans call for then studying ways to measure and evaluate seawater quality and temperatures that prompt the degradation of new plastic materials.

The ministry aims to submit related proposals to the International Organization for Standardization in the early 2020s.

So far, two Japanese companies have developed biodegradable plastic materials and commercialized them including for shopping bags and straws.

As production costs for the new plastic materials are several times higher than those for existing plastic materials, however, the Japanese initiative will seek to develop techniques to lower the costs by the time when the 2025 World Exposition is held in Osaka at the latest.

Furthermore, the public-private initiative will aim to expand the application of biodegradable plastic materials to detergent bottles, food trays and others, in order to stimulate demand for them.

The initiative will also create a symbol for biodegradable plastics and study a garbage collection and disposal system for such plastics. Jiji Press