wrapped up

buy a hair dye - get a bag full of leftover plastic waste.


at last count japan had a population of 127 333 002. that's alot of people for a little island. an island with a total area of 377,835 sq km.  to put that into perspective, australia currently has a population of approx. 19 913 144, mingling on an island with a total area of 7 686 850 sq km. provided i calculated it correctly, that works out at about 33 people per sq km in japan. in australia, every couple can have there own square km.


anyway enough with the stats (not one of my best subjects), this story is really about the logic behind the excessive product packaging in this country, this tiny little island, this soon to be 'wrapped in plastic' nation.


i am no environmental activitist and could hardly be considered a greenie (although i did keep a greenpeace membership for most of my university life) but i am really concerned about the way extra packaging is pushed and expected, in this country.  it doesn't take much to work out that a high population contained in a small area requires some serious waste management strategies. wouldn't it make environmental and financial sense to cut some of the waste at its source.  in my mind; more people, less space, minimal packaging, is simple logic. ??