"Only Two Per Person" Garbage Bag Crisis Was Just Yesterday... Japan Also Faces Shortage Anxiety

Shortage of Designated Garbage Bags in Local Governments
"Panic Buying Likely Triggered by Instability in the Middle East"

As the crisis in Iran has made it difficult to secure naphtha, a basic raw material in the petrochemical industry, Japan is now showing signs of a garbage bag shortage crisis.

On May 21 (local time), Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun reported that local governments across Japan are experiencing disruptions in the supply of garbage bags. The newspaper stated, “Due to concerns over the supply of naphtha, designated garbage bags in various regions of Japan are becoming scarce,” adding, “Some local governments are temporarily allowing the use of transparent or semi-transparent bags instead of designated ones.”

Designated Garbage Bags of Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Screenshot from Aichi Prefecture Official Website

Japan’s designated garbage bags are made from petrochemical products such as polyethylene. The raw material is naphtha, which is produced by refining crude oil. Naphtha is processed into other chemical products like ethylene and propylene, and is then used in the manufacture of everyday items such as plastic bags, plastic containers, and ink.

Currently, the garbage bag supply shortage is reported to be caused more by public anxiety than an actual lack of bags. Consumers have been buying more garbage bags than usual. At one store in Shizuoka Prefecture, the sales volume of designated garbage bags has surged by up to 1.8 times compared to the previous year since a month ago. Some stores have limited purchases to two bags per person, but demand has still outpaced supply.

The Japanese government is urging citizens to refrain from purchasing more garbage bags than necessary. On May 19, TV Asahi reported, “In some areas, designated garbage bags are in short supply, but the overall supply volume itself has not decreased,” adding, “There is a possibility that panic buying has occurred due to instability in the Middle East.”

In Korea, panic buying of garbage bags also spread after the outbreak of war in Iran. In March, Kim Seonghwan, Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment, posted on his Facebook page, “I heard that some people are stockpiling volume-based waste bags out of anxiety,” adding, “When I stopped by a nearby convenience store and supermarket over the weekend, I saw that purchase quantities were being restricted.”

He continued, “Once again, I would like to reassure you that there is no need to worry about garbage bags,” emphasizing, “After checking with local governments and production plants nationwide, more than half of the local governments have already secured at least a six-month supply. There is also sufficient capacity to use recycled raw materials, so there is no problem with supply for over a year.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.