"Reinforcing the Use of Eco Bags: The Charge for Plastic Bags Starts April 1!"

2020.04.01 published

The charging for plastic bags starts on April 1st

April 2020 has arrived, and the new fiscal year has begun.

From April 1st, the charging for plastic bags at supermarkets and drugstores has started.

Plastic is a very convenient material, and plastic bags have been a normal part of our daily lives up until now.

However, on the other hand, it's a well-known fact that excessive use of plastic contributes to global warming and the marine plastic problem.

It has been a long time since calls to reduce or eliminate plastic use have been made worldwide, but finally, a concrete system has begun in Japan.

How much will plastic bags cost?

According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the complete charging (mandatory) for plastic shopping bags will start on July 1, 2020.

While convenience stores will implement this from July 1, many supermarkets and drugstores have shifted to charging for bags ahead of schedule, stopping the free distribution three months earlier.

For example, here are some cases:

✅ Aeon: 2 to 5 yen; paper bags: 10 yen

✅ Matsumoto Kiyoshi: 3 to 10 yen

✅ Uniqlo, GU: 10 yen for paper bags

✅ Takashimaya's food section: 3 to 20 yen

✅ Mister Donut: 3 yen

Prices may vary depending on the size, but for a standard size, it seems the average is around 2 to 5 yen.

The era of getting plastic bags for free is over

The charging for plastic bags started on April 1st at many retail stores.

There are voices online saying, "With COVID-19, we can't focus on that!"—it is indeed a challenging situation, but for the sake of our planet and future, we want to refrain from unnecessary plastic use as much as possible.

I also intend to always carry an eco-bag with me.*