South Australian law on single-use plastic packaging coming into force on 1 September will ban polyethylene containers known as shoyu-tai in Japan

The device known as shoyu-tai (or soy-sauce snapper in Japanese) was invented in 1954 by Teruo Watanabe, the founder of Osaka-based company Asahi Sogyo, according to a report from Japan’s Radio Kansai.

It was then common for glass and ceramic containers to be used but the advent of cheap industrial plastics allowed the creation of a small polyethylene container in the shape of a fish, officially named the “Lunch Charm”.

The invention quickly spread around Japan and eventually worldwide, and it is estimated that billions have been produced.

  • renrenPDX@lemmy.worldEnglish
    26·
    2 months ago

    I’m not defending the use but should mention that these are convenient over traditional sauce packets. They allow precise application in a droplet form, don’t spill everywhere, and can be closed with the included cap.

      • zipzoopaboop@lemmynsfw.comEnglish
        191·
        2 months ago

        Portability and cost.

        I don’t support single use plastics but saying no benefit is just willfully ignorant and causes alternatives to fail for missing the point.

        • Wahots@pawb.socialEnglish
          8·
          2 months ago

          It could just be waxed paper/waxed cardboard like the milk cartons of yore, but small. A lot of this stuff has been around long before plastics, and we got by just fine :)

        • Chais@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          51·
          2 months ago

          Portability is a fair point, but I feel like we shouldn’t count cost, since that’s the line of thinking that got us into this mess.

          • zipzoopaboop@lemmynsfw.comEnglish
            2·
            2 months ago

            Unfortunate reality while we still have capitalism. Plastic bags are banned where I am but they still show up regularly