A five-day experiment had just one rule: Do not use any disposable plastic waste.

The campaign, undertaken by an Asahi Shimbun reporter, was aimed at exploring what individual Japanese citizens can do in their daily lives to reduce the scourge of plastic pollution that is fouling the planet.

Japan is the second-largest generator of plastic packaging waste per capita, following the United States, according to the U.N. Environment Program (UNEP).

The no-use rule was restricted to disposable plastic waste because it is unrealistic to live with literally zero plastic consumption, given that home appliances, computers, smartphones and other plastic-based products are so common in households.

The endeavor to follow that rule proved extremely challenging, but the results were rewarding.

The reporter filed this first-person account:

NEARLY NO PLASTIC-FREE FOOD

The first thing I needed to do was to go grocery shopping with my favorite reusable bag.

Before heading for the supermarket, I decided what I wanted to cook that day and listed the ingredients needed.

Reaching the store, I discovered there was “nothing to buy” under the rule. Vegetables were mostly packaged in plastic, while natto and tofu were sealed in plastic containers. Meat and fish were offered on plastic trays, too.

At this point, I realized I could not prepare my envisioned menu for that day. So I purchased non-packed fruits and veggies as well as canned fish.

The next tactic I tried was bringing my own food storage box to a family-owned butcher shop for the selected goods. I handed the receptacle to a clerk, saying, “Please put my purchases in this.”

Against my expectations, the clerk weighed the meat in plastic bags and transferred them directly into my storage box. I could not stop the process because another shopper was already waiting behind me.

My container was filled with a pair of plastic bags for chicken and pork. The first day in my plastic-less life started with the generation of plastic waste.

Simply drinking water also posed a challenge.

I usually fill a 500-milliliter bottle with water before leaving home, but the contents quickly run out in the sweltering summer heat.

My office is equipped with water coolers for rehydration. However, I couldn’t refill my bottle at the coolers when I was away for interviews.

I normally buy drinks in plastic bottles to fill my canteen. But doing so was not an option during the test. I overcame the issue by receiving water at a coffee chain outlet.

Plastic waste also showed up in unexpected places.

When my rice bin at home became empty, I had no choice but to open up a new bag of rice and throw away the plastic.

I unintentionally used a plastic-wrapped “oshibori” wet towel placed on the table at a restaurant I visited for lunch. From the next day, I went to the restroom of eateries to wash my hands before eating.

SUBSTITUTES FOR PLASTIC

I had secured some alternatives to plastic products beforehand.

Sponges for dish washing can break down into tiny microplastic pieces, so I bought a towel made of cotton on an online shopping site.

Although the towel, named Biwako Fukin, arrived at my house in a plastic package, it proved very helpful keeping tableware clean solely with water. Its thick and uneven fibers were able to remove stains effectively.

Greasy plates and pots were rubbed with newspaper before being treated with a small amount of detergent.

Both the strainer bag and the triangular trash box set up in the kitchen sink are made of plastic, so I did not rely on them.

Food scraps went into a garbage receptacle created with folded newspaper. Moisture was absorbed by newspaper to contain the odor inside.

Waste accumulated in the sink strainer was collected and removed by hand.

In addition, I use a solid shampoo product with no plastic container. Plastic wraps were replaced with a reusable silicone-derived material.

5 PLASTIC WASTE OVER 5 DAYS

Only five plastic items were discarded over the five days: two bags for meat from the butcher’s shop; the empty rice bag; the accidentally opened plastic bag for the wet hand towel at a restaurant; and the package for the towel bought online.

I actually went two whole days without generating any plastic waste.

In five ordinary days before the test, my plastic waste nearly filled a 15-liter garbage bag. The experiment showed that plastic consumption can be dramatically slashed if one carefully tries to use as little of the substance as possible.

Although the trial was marked by a series of hardships, it also uncovered certain practical precautions that can be continued in normal life.

Abandoning certain plastic-made necessities caused no trouble to me, even though life without them had appeared virtually impossible before the test began.

On top of that, I felt a sense of great accomplishment on the days I did not generate any plastic waste. I learned many lessons that I would not have known unless I had given it a try.

My husband was astonished at the results, although I did not force him to take part in the plastic-free program.

“Plastic waste can be reduced so drastically just with simple tactics and minor changes in the mindset,” he said.

WORK WITHIN YOUR LIMITS

The no-plastic endeavor was inspired by “Kurashi no Zukan: Eco na Mainichi” (An illustrated reference book on life: Eco-friendly days) from publisher Shoeisha. The book details steps on how to eliminate plastic waste.

Yoko Koga, one of the authors, presented her recommendations and tips for living with less plastic on a continual basis.

A resident of Mie Prefecture, Koga has been removing as much plastic as possible from her life for six years.

The lifestyle change started after she got to know biological oceanographer Ryota Nakajima through her work.

Koga was shocked to hear about all of the plastic pollution in the sea, and she became aware of how much plastic she churned out in her daily life.

For beginner environmentalists, Koga suggests using solid soap instead of liquid goods to wash hands and bodies, and replacing plastic clothes pegs with their stainless steel counterparts.

Solid soap can end the need to buy liquid cleaning products in plastic bottles and their plastic-packaged refills. Solid soap can also be used longer to help save on spending.

Old plastic pegs may break and crumble into microplastics.

Koga noted that removing all plastic items from households is extremely difficult.

She was initially mentally exhausted by her eco-conscious lifestyle. So she eased up on her effort and now does not pay so much attention to avoiding plastic when picking out foodstuffs and apparel.

“It is enough to do what you can under your own circumstances,” she said. “You can let go of what looks impossible for you.”

Koga continued, “It is important for people to continue the practice while enjoying it within the scope of their abilities, since finding it painful may cause them to discontinue their effort entirely.”

Working with Nakajima, Koga shares ways to reduce plastic waste on their jointly run website Less Plastic Life at (https://lessplasticlife.com/).