51³Ô¹ÏÍø

Tag - plastics

 
Menu
Search
 
July 24, 2026
 

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

PLASTICS

Plastic bottles and other refuse collected from Border Field State Park Beach in San Diego in May
ENVIRONMENT / ANALYSIS
Aug 16, 2025
Tough U.S. stance casts gloom over plastics pollution deal after Geneva flop
Many states and campaigners blamed the failure on oil-producers including the U.S, which they said urged others to reject caps on new plastic production.
A petrochemical plant in China. Asia's producers face the toughest outlook, with oversupply likely to persist.
BUSINESS / Companies / ANALYSIS
Aug 9, 2024
Petrochemical makers enter survival mode amid global glut
Major petrochemical producers in Asia and Europe are selling assets, shutting older plants, and retrofitting facilities.
The most relevant measure to gauge plastic bag use isn¡¯t how many carriers get used, but how much material is consumed and how much pollution is produced in their making.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 25, 2024
Plastic bag bans have failed in every way except one
Reusable plastic bags need to be used 52 times before its environmental impact drops below that of a disposable one, according to a 2018 Danish study.
A paper published in The Lancet in December found that plastics likely enter most of our major organs and even affect the good bacteria that makes up our microbiome.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 14, 2024
We don¡¯t know how worried we should be about nanoplastics
Nanoparticles can slip into the bloodstream, get into organs, and sneak into cells where they may cause harm.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 8, 2022
Plastic-munching bacteria offer hope for recycling
Offering a ray of hope, plastic has become so enmeshed in our ecosystem that bacteria have evolved to digest it and scientists are trying to take advantage of that fact.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 28, 2020
Banning glitter won¡¯t save the oceans
Those sparkly bits of plastic that make ornaments twinkle, wrapping paper glimmer and wreaths shimmer are increasingly seen as an environmental hazard.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 22, 2020
Don¡¯t give up on recycling plastics
Fortunately for the world, the recycling industry has a history of transforming what was previously ¡°unrecyclable¡± into useful products. It¡¯s poised to do so again.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Jan 13, 2020
How my local Japanese supermarket killed ¡®Methuselah¡¯
We all try to do our part for the environment, William Lang¡¯s contribution was ¡®Methuselah,¡¯ his trusty (and banged up) reusable shopping bag.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 12, 2019
German minister prepares law to ban plastic bags after voluntary efforts by businesses fail
Germany plans a law to ban the use of plastic bags because voluntary agreements with retailers to curb usage have not yielded good enough results, Environment Minister Svenja Schulze said on Sunday.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 51³Ô¹ÏÍø LITE
Apr 21, 2019
The lesson from one student-led trash pick-up is that everyone needs to do their part
It¡¯s April on Shiraishi Island in Japan¡¯s Seto Inland Sea. The nights are still crisp, dipping to 4 degrees Celsius, but the sky is clear and the stars arc over the beach like thousands of glittery sequins on a pop idol¡¯s stage dress. The constellations are so prominent, even a young child can pick out...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 28, 2018
Better plastics for healthier seas
The world does not need new bans or taxes on plastics. Rather, it needs people who work with plastic to take advantage of technological advances that make it safer for the environment.
CULTURE / Music / STRANGE BOUTIQUE
Jan 28, 2014
Music scene loses a legend after Plastics¡¯ member Masahide Sakuma dies
On Jan. 16, 2014, the musician and producer Masahide Sakuma died after losing his battle with cancer. He was 61.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE 51³Ô¹ÏÍø

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER