Estimation of Municipal Waste Plastics Flow in Hokkaido, Japan

Abstract

Promoting domestic plastic resource circulation is an important challenge in response to issues such as marine plastic waste, global warming, and import restriction on waste by foreign countries. To promote plastic resource circulation effectively, it is important to understand the treatment flow of waste plastic in various regions in Japan. In this study, the treatment flow of plastic in municipal waste in Hokkaido was estimated based on statistical data and questionnaire survey results from municipalities. Based on these results, it was revealed that the recycling rates vary significantly by region in Hokkaido, and the issues related to plastic resource circulation in municipal waste were analyzed and discussed. Furthermore, issues were identified related to existing statistical data and estimation results regarding estimation of the treatment flow of plastic in municipal waste.