[zspade]

Could this be the kind of external force required to help reduce unnecessary paper waste (junkmail, statements, etc.)?

China is the largest paper consumer in the world (100mm metric tons), followed not far behind by the US(70mm metric tons). Japan is 3rd at 25mm.. That seems to suggest we have a lot of room for reduction.

[onlyrealcuzzo]

Does it? The US population is ~2.5x Japan's. 25x2.5 = 62.5

Japan isn't really a society I see as absurdly wasteful. So we're using maybe 10% more paper per capita? Less paper per GDP.

[clydethefrog]

Have you ever bought any snack from Japanese origin? They are usually in three layers of plastic packaging.

They also seem to absolutely love everything stationery.

[neltnerb]

I hate packaging. It frustrates me so much that I don't buy my two favorite Japanese candies because I refuse to throw out so much trash just for one of those (admittedly amazing) kiwi gummies that most of you are probably familiar with.

But I have the same issue with buying starbursts, hi-chew, jolly ranchers... I only buy candy if it's not individually wrapped. I just can't.

[vorpalhex]

I would gladly trade all of our junk mail and ugly flyers for handwritten notes on nice stationary... We could at least comprehend the resource use as being social and not merely an exercise in fetching mail and shredding it.