Plastic wastes on a beach. Bernama photo
TOKYO: Japan plans to cooperate with China and Southeast Asian (ASEAN) countries to fight the tide of plastic wastes flowing into the oceans, Japan’s Jiji Press reported the Environment Ministry officials as saying.
The ministry intends to request hundreds of millions of yen under the budget for the fiscal year starting April 2019 to cover costs for standardising ways to measure microplastics with these countries.
Most marine plastic wastes appear to come from developing countries.
Such wastes from the Group of Seven top industrial countries, including Japan, account for two per cent 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 per cent, 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 comparison.
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 wastes by net from ships.
The ministry plans to check microplastic levels in these countries and host international symposiums by experts. It will also investigate microplastic distribution conditions in Asia, as well as harmful related substances.
Japan hopes collaboration with Asian countries would enable it to take the leadership in addressing the issue of marine plastic wastes when it assumes the G-20 presidency next year. – Bernama