TOKYO - The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid rising Middle East tensions has once again exposed the vulnerability of Japan's import-dependent economy, with about 80 percent of naphtha, used to make materials such as plastics, sourced from the region.
Price spikes driven by procurement difficulties are forcing production cuts and price hikes of plastic-related goods, hitting household budgets in a society surrounded by petroleum-based products. One company's decision to switch food packaging to black-and-white printing due to a shortage of color ink has drawn attention.
The Japanese government has released oil stockpiles and is rushing to secure alternative suppliers, with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stressing it will respond "without ruling out any possibility," but prolonged disruption would inevitably have an impact on society.
Single-use containers and packaging, which account for roughly 40 percent of plastic waste, rely almost entirely on overseas fossil fuels for their raw materials.
While allocating resources critical for medical uses is urgent, Japan should also fundamentally reconsider its long-standing throwaway culture. Expanding alternatives such as reusable cup-and-container lending systems and package-free sales is important -- options that are already technically feasible.
A 2024 Greenpeace Japan report estimated that if three major convenience store chains and three cafe chains that heavily use disposable drink cups switched all takeout beverage cups consumed in 2023 to a rental-based reusable-cup system, they could save more than 271,000 barrels of oil in a year.
Not only would scaling domestic loops for reusable containers sharply cut the consumption of single-use plastic packaging, it would also reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. This would help build a more resilient, sustainable, and reassuring society that would be less affected by turmoil in the Middle East. Additionally, building regional washing and logistics centers could create jobs.
Over the past three years, Coca-Cola's German subsidiary has invested more than 170 million euros ($195 million) to build infrastructure for returnable glass bottles, offering an alternative to plastic bottles. Notably, the project helped shorten transport distances by installing regional washing and filling lines, which cut carbon emissions and create jobs.
Such large-scale investment in reuse is becoming an essential management decision for sustainable growth.
Japan's Plastic Resource Circulation Strategy, formulated in 2019, sets a goal of reusing or recycling 60 percent of plastic containers and packaging by 2030, but current measures are not sufficient to expand reuse.
Using the Middle East crisis as a catalyst, the Japanese government should accelerate reuse policies and press companies to shift to business models that move away from single-use products.
Rather than sustaining a fossil fuel-dependent society through familiar steps such as subsidies and securing alternative suppliers, can Japan steer toward structural reform? Its political will is now being tested.
(Akeru Sonoda, born in 1999, has served as political and external affairs officer at Greenpeace Japan since 2024 after joining an nongovernmental organization for international cooperation while in college)
