Issued by 2026 Magazine

Managing agri-plastics in Japan: policies, progress and outlook

Collection Schemes

AUTHOR : Hajime Sugimura, Deputy Director, International Strategy Division, Export and International Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF)

Since the 1990s, Japan has implemented a system for managing used agricultural plastics through local multi-stakeholder councils supported by the authorities. The results have been very positive. The Ministry of Agriculture explains.

Overview of Japanese agriculture and agri-plastics waste

Japan has 4.27 million ha of farmland, of which 54% are paddy fields and 46% are other types of farmlands, supporting approximately 880,000 farms. The main agricultural products are rice, vegetables, fruits, and livestock products. Across Japan, a wide variety of plastic materials are used in agriculture, adapted to local climates and production systems, such as greenhouse films, low tunnels, mulch films, seedling trays, and silage wrap. These materials play an essential role in achieving high productivity and ensuring the stable supply of agricultural products to meet the demands of over 100 million people, within the limited farmlands.

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