レジ袋有料、来年７月から＝中小含め全小売店で－政府

　スーパーやコンビニなどで配られるプラスチック製レジ袋の有料化を検討する経済産業・環境両省の合同審議会は１日、経産省内で会合を開き、来年７月１日から全ての小売店を有料化の義務付け対象とする新制度案を了承した。店舗の規模にかかわらず、全国一律で導入し、消費者の混乱や事業者間の不公平が生じないようにする。
　新制度案を基に、政府は１２月末、容器包装リサイクル法の省令を改正する方針。来年７月２４日から始まる東京五輪・パラリンピック期間中には、レジ袋有料化を海外にアピールしたい考えで、今後、マイバッグ普及キャンペーンなどを通じて周知に努める。

　会合では、レジ袋有料化について「ライフスタイルの変革が目的で、象徴的なものだ」などと評価する声が相次いだ。一部の自治体では国に先駆けた独自の有料化制度が進んでいるが、経産省幹部は「自治体による自主的な取り組みは当然推奨されるべきだ」と、尊重する考えを示した。（2019/11/01-19:57）

A joint panel of Japan's industry and environment ministries at a meeting on Friday approved a draft plan to require all retailers across the nation, regardless of their size, to charge for plastic shopping bags from July 1, 2020.
   The uniform system is designed to ensure fairness among businesses while preventing consumers from being confused. Based on the plan, the government will amend a relevant ordinance under the containers and wrapping materials recycling law in late December.
   Aiming to make the world well aware of the new system during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, to be held between late July and early September, the government will accelerate work to spread it with a range of measures, such as a campaign to encourage consumers to use reusable shopping bags. Some municipalities have already introduced their own fee systems for shopping bags.
   The joint panel was set up to discuss issues related to fees for plastic bags handed out to shoppers at supermarkets, convenience stores and other shops. At the day's meeting, many participants praised the new measure, with one of them saying, "It is aimed at prompting people to change their lifestyles and is therefore symbolic."
   Initially, the government planned to introduce the nationwide mandatory fee system in April next year to make it take root by the time the Olympic Games begins. In view of the need to give shops sufficient time to fully prepare for the new system, however, the government is set to delay the launch by three months.