[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.