From July 2020, convenience stores in Japan will start charging for plastic bags.
The price for one large plastic bag is about $0.03 (5 yen) and for a small one is about $0.02 (3 yen). The amounts of $0.02 or $0.03 might seem tiny and insignificant, but if you shop at convenience stores frequently, those costs can add up and become a waste, not to mention the increase in plastic waste.
That's why I started looking into alternatives to plastic bags for shopping at convenience stores. There are many handy options, and one of them is the Shupatto, which seems to be a relatively new product. The price for one of these bags at Seven Eleven is about $7.20 (1078 yen) for the small size and over $13 (more than 2000 yen) for the large one. Personally, I prefer the small bag because I don't buy too much when shopping at convenience stores.
This is the small bag I bought at Seven Eleven for over $6.70 (1000 yen)
That's why I started looking into alternatives to plastic bags for shopping at convenience stores. There are many handy options, and one of them is the Shupatto, which seems to be a relatively new product. The price for one of these bags at Seven Eleven is about $7.20 (1078 yen) for the small size and over $13 (more than 2000 yen) for the large one. Personally, I prefer the small bag because I don't buy too much when shopping at convenience stores.
This is the small bag I bought at Seven Eleven for over $6.70 (1000 yen)
Using it is incredibly simple: when you open the bag, it expands, and it has enough capacity to hold 6 bottles of 16.9 oz (500ml) water.
Folding the bag back up is also super easy; just grab both ends of the bag and pull them apart firmly to fold it neatly.
Once rolled up, the bag becomes compact and easy to carry with you anytime.
Besides the Shupatto bag, there are many other convenient types available. I hope that by using these bags, we can help reduce plastic waste and save those $0.02-$0.03 (3-5 yen) every time we shop at a convenience store.
