But you're right. Gifts aside, we can at least reduce the packaging. Recently I had a chance to spend some time in Japan and the overuse of plastic bags and pac

But you're right. Gifts aside, we can at least reduce the packaging. Recently I had a chance to spend some time in Japan and the overuse of plastic bags and packaging was startling. (I expected a modern island nation to be more environmentally efficient.) Sources suggest this is "customer first" culture-driven: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/13266062/ns/world_news-world_environment/t/japan-its-bag-thats-problem/ http://www.nbcnews.com/id/13266062/ns/world_news-world_envir... (2013) https://www.quora.com/Why-are-plastic-bags-in-Japan-so-overused https://www.quora.com/Why-are-plastic-bags-in-Japan-so-overu...