Approximately 50% of Consumers in "Paid Garbage Bag" Areas Conscious of "Choosing Not to Throw Away", Practicing Circular Actions like "Selling, Donating, and Collection Boxes"

PASSTO, a resource circulation service operated by ECOMMIT Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Satsumasendai City, Kagoshima Prefecture; Representative Director and CEO: Teruyuki Kawano, hereinafter "ECOMMIT"), which builds an infrastructure for the collection and redistribution of unneeded items for a circular economy, conducted an awareness survey regarding the charging for garbage bags. (1,110 responses) As a result, it was revealed that approximately 50% of consumers living in areas where it is necessary to purchase paid garbage bags are conscious of and practicing actions to avoid throwing things away, such as "selling, donating, and using collection boxes". In addition, even in areas where garbage bags are not currently paid, more than 60% showed an intention to consider "choices not to throw away" assuming a fee is introduced. When the respondents of this survey (1,110 responses) were asked whether it is necessary to purchase a designated paid garbage bag when taking out household garbage, 71.1% answered "Necessary" and 28.9% answered "Not necessary". ■ Approximately 50% of people in areas with paid garbage bags are conscious of and practice circulation actions People in areas who answered that they need to purchase paid garbage bags responded that they are conscious of actively using free collection boxes and resource collection bases (29.3%), and recycling or donating (24.3%), revealing that about 50% are practicing "choices not to throw away". ■ Even in areas where garbage bags are not charged, more than 60% envision circulation actions When consumers in areas where garbage bags are not charged were asked about their actions if garbage bags were charged, 31.5% answered that they would use flea market apps/purchasing, and 32.1% answered that they would use collection boxes or donations, revealing that more than 60% envision circulation actions. As a result of this survey, it became clear that the charging for garbage bags has become an opportunity to uncover consumers' awareness of "mottainai (wastefulness)" and promote circular behaviors such as reuse, recycling, and donation. On the other hand, even if garbage bags are charged, considering the effort, eventually as garbage...