Manufacturers of fish-shaped soy sauce containers for sushi in Japan are fearing a major spillover effect after a state in Australia banned their use from the local market this fall.

The state government of South Australia instituted the prohibition on the containers starting in September for environmental reasons after they were seen littering streets and beaches.

South Australia had previously prohibited disposable plastic for straws, cups and other types of tableware. Newly added to the ban list this time were, more specifically, plastic soy sauce containers 30 milliliters or smaller.

All shapes--whether fish or pig-shaped--were evenly targeted under the policy. However, the title of the news release issued by the state government seemed to take aim particularly at the ubiquitous fish design: “Fish-shaped soy sauce containers and other single-use plastics now banned in SA.”

Announcing the regulation as the state government’s deputy premier, South Australian House of Assembly member Susan Close warned in her statement, “Single-use plastics are often used for seconds but they last a lifetime in our natural environment.”

Additionally, Close, who later left office as deputy premier in September, stressed: “The small size of the fish-shaped soy containers means they’re easily dropped, blown away, or washed into drains, making them a frequent component of beach and street litter.”

Explaining further, Close continued, “In curbside recycling, they’re too small to be captured by sorting machinery and often end up in landfill or as fugitive plastic in the environment.”

Situated in the southern part of Australia, South Australia is particularly famed for its capital, Adelaide, which boasts the nation’s fifth-largest population at about 1.3 million.

MAKER IN OSAKA STRUGGLING TO RESPOND

The decision recently announced by South Australia forced Asahi Sogyo Co., headquartered in Osaka's Sumiyoshi Ward, to promptly swing into action.

“Even if the container is shaped like a koala, it is no good, right?” asked Managing Director Hiroyuki Mori.

Asahi Sogyo is well known as the long-established company that pitched the world’s first fish-designed soy sauce vessel in 1957 under the Luncharm brand.

The registered trademark’s name reflects the hope of “rendering your lunch charming,” as the manufacturer sought to make meals more enjoyable and pleasurable at the time.

Depending on the sort of soy sauce inside, Luncharm is available on the official website of Asahi Sogyo for 7 yen to 12 yen (4.5 cents to 7.7 cents) per 3-milliliter piece.

According to Mori, 110 million units of Luncharm, or one-third of the corporation’s total overseas shipments, are distributed within Australia. Given the heavy reliance, the latest movement spreading from South Australia to the entire country could become a matter of life and death for Asahi Sogyo.

In response, Asahi Sogyo quickly prepared and delivered paper soy sauce packages to its patrons in an effort to overcome the regulatory challenge posed by the state government.

In Australia, eating sushi at lunchtime is becoming increasingly popular. People’s enjoyment of the modified version of traditional Japanese cuisine is reportedly part of daily life in the nation.

Mori recounted how he was stunned by the manner that Luncharm were disposed of during his inspection tour of Australia.

He could not believe that locals casually threw away soy sauce containers on the streets in front of a long line of customers just outside a sushi restaurant. Mori said the shocking sight is ingrained into his memory.

“Luncharm is truly convenient as long as it is discarded properly, allowing users to not only pour an appropriate amount of soy sauce but also preserve it within continuously,” Mori said. “The restriction is probably the result of such rampant litterbugs.”

Asahi Sogyo said that it is forging ahead with a project currently to create a new soy sauce vessel from biodegradable plastic.

But it is not yet time for the company to switch immediately to the greener alternative, since many factors, such as durability and the potential effects on soy sauce inside, require more consideration.

Another hurdle involves production costs. Sushi bar operators may deem that raising significantly the price of the free self-serve item might be unacceptable.

TURNING POINT FOR BOTH MAKERS, CONSUMERS

Misuzu Asari, an environmental engineering professor at the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature in Japan, who is well-versed in green issues, suggested that both manufacturers and citizens take advantage of the opportunity toward realizing an even more ecological society together.

Asari acknowledged that her “impression is that they are targeting a very niche market at this time, as plastic control policies differ from state to state in Australia.”

“Soy sauce containers appear to be regulated as a symbol of the global boom of sushi and other Japanese foods,” Asari said.

However Asari added, “Corporations have tended to prioritize economic advantages and simply sell off their products without paying due consideration to disposal expenses until now.”

“Companies and consumers, as makers and users, should give a second thought to the usage of undecomposable and unrecoverable plastics,” she concluded.