Economy Container and bag shortages hit Japan's takeaway sector

Japan's ubiquitous takeout food shops are starting to feel the effects of the Middle East crisis, with rising crude-oil-derived naphtha prices pushing up the cost of plastic containers. Hinode Delica, which sells bentō (弁当) and other prepared foods in Kōfu, west of Tokyo, wrote on social media in late May that customers who bring their own plates or plastic containers would receive small bonuses, such as extra side dishes or additional toppings.

The shop said its container supplier had informed it that prices for June shipments would rise by 30%. There was also mention of possible supply disruptions further down the line. Regular customers quickly backed the move. A 47-year-old woman from the nearby city of Yamanashi, who had brought her own container, said she had always felt it was wasteful to throw away plastic containers after a single use. The shortage of plastic products had become a major topic recently, she added, and she wanted to do what she could to help. Store manager Masako Ohara said it was becoming harder to secure supplies of containers and plastic wrap. She said the shop did not want to raise prices, though it was unclear how much longer that could be avoided.

Naphtha, a feedstock for plastics, is soaring in price as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz chokes off shipments to Asia. Japan relies on imports from the Middle East for more than 40% of its naphtha consumption. The country's annual plastic consumption amounts to 8.43 million metric tons, of which the food sector accounts for about 30%. Container costs generally make up around 5% of the selling price of a bento meal, dealing a heavy blow to what are mostly low-margin, high-volume businesses.

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Other solutions:

Tabeena Foods Garage, a prepared-food shop near Tokyo in Zushi, Kanagawa prefecture, is offering more loyalty card points for customers who bring their own containers. It secured a larger-than-usual container inventory in response to the price hikes but is concerned about future supplies. The naphtha supply crunch is also hitting shops that rely on plastic bags. Griotte, a bakery in Tokyo's Meguro Ward, pleaded on social media for customers to bring their own containers or bags after it found itself unable to keep them in stock. Some regulars have even started leaving their personal takeout bags at the shop.

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Paywall alert:

I found Japan to be so plastic-heavy in a retail sectors. It almost made me abandon my home recycling efforts. This is Japan's chance to make bamboo-derived plastic/cellophane at 49% of the cost of oil-derived plastic/cellophane!

I am hopeful that some good will come out of this massive Trump-caused disruption -- such as accelerated adoption of clean technologies and plastic alternatives.

Being cynical, my suspicions are that lazy governments will be using Tokugawa Ieyasu's strategy of 'wait and see' with regards Trump's political demise and all will go back to how they worked previously.

Ukigumo said:

Being cynical, my suspicions are that lazy governments will be using Tokugawa Ieyasu's strategy of 'wait and see' with regards Trump's political demise and all will go back to how they worked previously.

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Which is exactly what happened after the COVID pandemic.

Ukigumo said:

Being cynical, my suspicions are that lazy governments will be using Tokugawa Ieyasu's strategy of 'wait and see' with regards Trump's political demise and all will go back to how they worked previously.

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I don't doubt that.