<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/04/japan-naphtha-shortage-plastic-bag>
"Takeaways, supermarkets, and bakeries in Japan are running out of plastic
bags, trays and food service gloves amid widening shortages of the key plastic
ingredient, naphtha, due to the Middle East crisis.
The food sector accounts for nearly one-third of Japan’s annual plastic use of
more than 8m tonnes, and price rises and shortages are hitting hard across the
industry and beyond. Some outlets have begun offering perks to customers who
bring their own bags, plates or containers.
The Middle East is Japan’s main source of crude oil, from which naphtha is
extracted and then used to make a wide variety of items including printing ink,
plastics, adhesives and medical supplies.
Data from the Japan Petrochemical Industry Association (JPCA) showed that
production of the polyethylene used in shopping and garbage bags was down 62%
in March compared with 2025, with large drops also recorded for manufacturing
of other plastics.
Prime minister Sanae Takaichi’s government is facing mounting pressure over the
shortages, which are also affecting other sectors. The government has assured
the public that the issue is a supply “bottleneck” rather than a shortage, but
industry leaders and commentators have contradicted this, saying the situation
will worsen throughout June. Opinion polls show the public see the issue as one
of its most pressing worries.
Japanese retailers have been mandated to charge for plastic shopping bags since
2020. But multiple layers of plastic packaging and wrapping on products are
still commonplace and seen as part of Japan’s service culture. That culture is
coming under pressure as supplies run low."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
