© Reuters. Already the effect is felt worldwide. Koike is studying the case of France, which in 2016 banned retailers from distributing plastic bags thinner than 50 micrometers. Sao Tome and Principe > Pop. Environmental contradictions start with the humble plastic bag. > Area with gov. Very few people in the country have access to electricity, so most meals are prepared on wood fires. > Area with gov. After all, few people carry a reusable shopping bag everywhere they go. They worry that charging for bags would make customers think twice about stopping by for a drink, snack or pack of cigarettes. Even with its problematic plastic bag habit, Japan is leagues ahead of most developed countries in other areas of waste management. For a symbol of the country's conservation contradictions, look no further than the ongoing debate about charging for plastic bags. Sudan is a nation in turmoil. Guinea-Bissau fits that description, with almost 70% of the population living below the poverty line and as much as half of the population food-insecure in some regions. > Area with gov. Guinea-Bissau New arrivals will be just as surprised at how much wrapping takes place at, say, a bakery. It's much better than plastic bags you receive at supermarkets, or wrapping paper, since it's highly resistant, reusable and multipurpose. Nikkei Inc. No reproduction without permission. They now offer pricier items like meals and bento lunches, so it's a difficult issue.". A civil war broke out in South Sudan in 2013, and Sudan has become a destination for refugees and asylum seekers. Related links to Japan's regulations, Environment Law. > Pop. > GDP per capita: $1,549. As long as this continues, it will blunt the impact of all the sorting, washing, melting, burning, compacting and repurposing. Countries Doing the Least to Protect the Environment Source: EPasqualli / Getty Images 15. In the last month alone, the price of high-density polyethylene has risen 5%, to $1,105 a ton. Botswana protection: 0.2% > Pop. > Pop. The Conversation. The West African country has been in chronic political turmoil since it gained independence in 1974. One of her pet projects, the Mottainai Furoshiki, aimed to curb waste by promoting furoshiki made with a fiber derived from recycled PET bottles. The bags are tough to recycle because they are made from different types of plastic with different melting points. exposed to unsafe air pollution levels: … > Area with gov. The ubiquity of convenience stores in the capital gives the industry considerable clout to push back against a ban. Online shopping prompts Japan Pulp to invest in India, The firefighter's handbag takes on fast fashion, Japan acting on sustainable development goals. The idea was to spur a shift to reusable and recyclable biodegradable bags. exposed to unsafe air pollution levels: 100.0% The northern African country’s resources are stretched thin by this series of events, but it is supported by the UN in preparing its first State of the Environment and Outlook Report, aiming to help the government make informed decisions and adopt an integrated approach to understanding the link between social and economic development. Evidence of Japan's throwaway tendencies is everywhere: Produce in grocery stores is individually wrapped. In December of the same year, the "National Action Plan for Agenda 21" was submitted to the United Nations. There’s a clear link between a nation’s wealth and its ability to protect the environment, so it’s no surprise that Sao Tome and Principe, with its tiny per capita GDP of just over $3,000, ranks among the worst in the world. Despite that, the southern African nation is likely to find itself embroiled in conservationist controversy for the foreseeable future following its May 22 decision to end its ban on elephant hunting. Countries Doing the Least to Protect the Environment, 15. Some of the most outspoken opponents of the move are convenience stores. Nikkei Asian Review, now known as Nikkei Asia, will be the voice of the Asian Century. 10. And the smoke from the wood fires takes its toll on air quality, releasing hundreds of substances into the air, including particulates, soot, carcinogens, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons, leading to lung disease, with women and children particularly susceptible. But it ranks among the highest in this group when it comes to the percentage of the protected terrestrial and marine area. protection: 11.6% Sudan In doing so, it sought to end a debate that had been dragging on for years, caught in limbo between government advocates and corporate influences. > Pop. Environmental protections are necessities that can feel like luxuries in desperately poor countries, where a large percentage of the population lacks regular access to food, potable water, and basic sanitation. Botswana shares a daunting statistic with the other 14 countries doing the least to protect their environment: 100% of its population is exposed to air pollution levels exceeding the World Health Organization’s guidelines. The good news is that in the years since 24/7 Wall St. last reported on the countries doing the least to protect the environment, Chad has increased its terrestrial and marine-protected areas — from 17.8% of land to 20.4% today. A visit to any department store is to bear witness to an excess of wrapping and packaging. Malawi > GDP per capita: $15,474. {{numberArticlesLeft}} free article{{numberArticlesLeft-plural}}. "This is why a nationwide ban on free bags is needed," Yasuo Furusawa, director for sustainable materials management at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, told the Nikkei Asian Review. Sign up to our newsletters to get our best stories delivered straight to your inbox. While the fate of the bag ban remains unclear, the movement does have a powerful backer in the city government: Gov. Their quality is so pure that the uniforms of soccer teams Barcelona and Manchester City are made from bottles collected from Japanese landfills. Buy a sausage roll, and your snack is likely to be covered with transparent plastic, placed in a paper bag, and then gently inserted into a plastic carrying bag. The aim of the report is to give governments a benchmark for effective policy making. Arguably the most important reason to reduce consumption, however, is that plastic bags represent a culture of wastefulness. Japanese people peel the labels off plastic bottles before recycling them. Source: Riccardo Lennart Niels Mayer / Getty Images. > GDP per capita: $1,768. Which countries are best prepared for climate change? > Area with gov. exposed to unsafe air pollution levels: 100.0% Three of the most widely used plastic materials are more expensive than they used to be, due to higher crude oil prices and stricter environmental regulations on factories in China. This encourages workers to dress casually during the summer, saving power by reducing the need for air conditioning. The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) attempts to measure the extent to which countries implement policies to protect their natural environments, by calculating 20 separate indicators across … 13. > Pop. Some stores have already embraced the change, including supermarket chains Aeon, Ito-Yokado and OK Store. Last year, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced its goal of getting all retailers to charge a small fee for plastic shopping bags by 2020. In Japan, the Basic Environment Law, which set out basic principles and directions for formulating environmental policies, was enacted in November 1993. This raises a question: Is Japan eco-friendly or eco-hostile? As she explained it: "The furoshiki is so handy that you can wrap almost anything in it, regardless of size or shape, with a little ingenuity by simply folding it in the right way. > GDP per capita: $4,467. France also stands to be the first country to ban plastic plates, cups and utensils -- with the exception of items made of compostable, bio-sourced materials -- with a law set to take effect in 2020. Get trusted insights from experts within Asia itself. exposed to unsafe air pollution levels: 100.0% TOKYO -- For newcomers to Japan, the biggest surprise may be the meticulous way garbage is sorted. In the 1960s, Tokyo's air had the sort of reputation that Beijing's does today. Situated off the west coast of Africa, Sao Tome and Principe’s environmental challenges include deforestation, soil erosion, and inadequate treatment of sewage in urban areas.

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