this post was submitted on 31 Aug 2025
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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.

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[–] Meron35@lemmy.world 13 points 16 hours ago

Date rapists in shambles

For context, these containers are really popular for storing drugs like GHB

[–] gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 13 hours ago (4 children)

I'm gonna say it:

The problem is not the fish-shaped plastic per se, but the fact that so much of it ends up in the ocean: Why do we still not collect and burn plastics properly? People throw their waste everywhere because there's not enough waste bins in comfortable walking distance. In Vienna, where waste bins are frequent on the streets (you basically never have to walk more than 30 meters to one, no matter where you sit and pause, somehow), there is literally no litter in the environment. No plastic articles or metal cans on the streets. Very rare cigarettes laying around. That's because Vienna has enough trash cans. Many cities don't have that and people have literally no choice to dispose of their trash properly because there's simply no trash cans around, so you either carry your dirty plastic packaging in your backpack and therefore sully your backpack with the grease on the packaging, or throw it into the environment.

Then, there needs to be strict laws that say that all plastic waste has to be burned, not dumped into the environment.

Then, biodegradable bioplastics would also mitigate this problem a lot.

[–] humanoidchaos@lemmy.cif.su 2 points 6 hours ago

I don't think you even begin to understand what it's like to have billions of people on the earth.

No matter what we do, people will still slip through the cracks and this litter will get out.

[–] Zozano@aussie.zone 4 points 10 hours ago

Ironically, Japan has almost no trash bins. You'll find them next to vending machines - you're expected to consume there and throw away packaging immediately, or take the rubbish with you.

So pick a lane. 100 bins per square kilometer, or none.

Anywhere in between evidently sucks.

[–] cley_faye@lemmy.world 3 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

People throw their waste everywhere because there’s not enough waste bins in comfortable walking distance

I see almost daily people throwing trash on the street in front of an empty recycle bin. I think the issue is more about people not giving a shit than convenience of finding a trashcan or keeping stuff in your pocket until you do.

[–] adavis@lemmy.world 3 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) (1 children)

In addition, too many people don't even care enough to use the correct bin. Every bin day my neighbours bins are overflowing with no recyclables in their recycling bin. I wouldn't be surprised if the bins were meaningless and it all went in a hole in the ground

[–] gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de 0 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

it practically does all go to the same incineration site. the recycle bins are mostly to make you believe otherwise, for political reasons, sothat you look at plastic in general more favorable. but practically none of it gets recycled.

[–] cley_faye@lemmy.world 0 points 2 hours ago

That was true a long time ago. And remains true in some places, but since we started pushing the different bins, things progressed on that front. Plenty of place have actual recycling facilities (although their efficiency is another topic). Of course, in some far away area, it is not practical to sort stuff, but it's kind of a chicken and egg problem. Infrastructure see no point in making large facilities for processing recyclable if they're not sorted, and people see no point in sorting their trash if the infrastructure isn't available. Putting colored recycling bins everywhere to initiate the process was cheaper.

[–] gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) (1 children)

I think the issue is more about people not giving a shit

but do these trash cans have funny jokes on them like these ones:

"mist" is trash in german

[–] cley_faye@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago

Eh. No jokes, no. The most engaging thing I remember seeing around in the city was a "vote" panel for cigarette butts with silly questions; but even that has gone away.

It is unfortunate that we're at this point. Hopefully other places do fare better.

[–] corodius@lemmy.world 4 points 11 hours ago (2 children)

Burning plastic does not mitigate its environmental effects, and infact would increase air pollution and microplastics exponentially if we were to start.

I fully agree with the rest, but burning plastic is definitely not the answer.

[–] gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

i too would like any kind of reasonable source about this, because i've heard very different from a many colleagues who work in this field.

modern incineration sites are very clean and produce no significant air polluting output. at least in modern sites. microplastics is also not an issue with these. the problem is that the trash gets thrown in rivers and forests where it breaks into microplastics, but that isn't an issue if it's all collected and incinerated.

[–] Mpatch@lemmy.world 3 points 9 hours ago

So, did you just come up with that, or do you actually know something about industrial incinerators used for power generation?

[–] renrenPDX@lemmy.world 25 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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.

[–] Chais@sh.itjust.works 13 points 1 day ago (2 children)

But offer no benefit over a simple serving bottle.

[–] zipzoopaboop@lemmynsfw.com 18 points 1 day ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (3 children)

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.social 8 points 1 day 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.works 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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.com 2 points 1 day ago

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

[–] Zink@programming.dev 2 points 1 day ago

saying no benefit is just willfully ignorant and causes alternatives to fail

It also plays into the conservative point of view that everybody who gives a shit about the biosphere is just as ignorant as they are, and that the reasons for taking away their plastic straws and grocery bags have to do with evil communist america-destruction rather than preventing things like micro plastics in the organs of developing fetuses and global climate change.

Ignorance and pretending a problem doesn't exist is like step 0 of most conservative policies.

[–] renrenPDX@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

Correct. These are often found in takeaway containers.

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 60 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The "fish-shaped" is rather irrelevant. The point is that it is a single -use plastic thing. With very little content in relation to the plastic used.

[–] Lumisal@lemmy.world 19 points 1 day ago (7 children)

I thought it would have been very relevant.

It looks like a fish lure.

If this is floating around at sea I don't see why other fish (and maybe certain sea birds?) wouldn't think it's prey, and it even has a bright red indicator that makes it easy to spot.

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[–] arc99@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I've never seen these things before but it does seem like a waste of plastic. Even sachets of sauce shouldn't be handed out in most circumstances, at least for dine-in food in fast food places - use dispensers and paper cups. I wonder if there is a biodegradable sachet material which has a couple of years shelf life but degrades thereafter.

[–] yourgodlucifer@sh.itjust.works 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Wonder if you could put soy sauce in wax like those wax bottle candies instead

[–] VitoRobles@lemmy.today 3 points 1 day ago

If it exists, I can't wait to hand these out during Halloween

[–] Lexam@lemmy.world 72 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Those are cute and I can see how they would be popular. And I see why they should also be banned. I live in the Midwest and I'm not sure I have seen these. Ours just comes in a little sauce packet.

[–] elucubra@sopuli.xyz 30 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Essentially a less cute plastic wrapper, no?

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[–] ParadoxSeahorse@lemmy.world 27 points 2 days ago (10 children)

Some people just don’t appreciate the irony of killing turtles with fish-shaped plastic, what can you do

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[–] Sunsofold@lemmings.world 7 points 1 day ago

I was thinking about these literally just yesterday. I'm wondering if they could be essentially replaced with something like those wax bottle candies. Maybe not the best for places that reach extreme temperatures but some places could do it without issue.

[–] elucubra@sopuli.xyz 31 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (14 children)

A Spanish company (I imagine there are a few worldwide) develops compostable bioplastic containers using PLA, polylactic acid, the most used plastic in 3D printing, in food safe formulations. I suppose there are limitations on what it can contain, and I don't know if soy sauce is compatible. I know that it's used for single serving olive oil, for example. There are challenges, like storage life, but it's a good start.

I do a lot of 3D printing. Printing PLA things for food storage is not recommended, not because of PLA, but because filaments often have modifiers to enhance certain properties that may not be food safe, and because contact with materials and parts, like extrusion nozzles may add impurities that are probably not food safe..

[–] gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

The thing is that mass-produced plastic items (like the plastic fish in question) are typically not produced with 3D-printing, because that would be incredibly slow and inefficient.

Instead, basically some kind of oil or molten mass is pressed into a form and then cooled down/condensed into a solid object. This way you can rapidly produce thousands of plastic items per minute. There is no nozzle involved, and you can do with fewer additives because the mechanical press removes the need for the filament to be so fickly 3D-printable. It can basically do with a bit more crude types of plastics, so you need a bit less additives to make the plastics more mendable.

[–] elucubra@sopuli.xyz 2 points 12 hours ago

I never said that these should be produced via 3D printing, it would be both economically unfeasible, and very difficult to achieve food safety, as I have mentioned.

The process you are describing is injection molding, generally used for solid parts. In this case, a variation called blown injection molding, is used. In this case the material is injected into a mold, and then a gas is blown into the interior, to make the material stick to the inner mold, and create a cavity. Nozzles are involved, as they are used to inject the material into the mold. These nozzles can be made specifically to be food safe, with stainless steel, for example.

[–] bitwolf@sh.itjust.works 33 points 2 days ago (5 children)

Keep in mind that PLA also leaks microplastics into food and could also be considered a risk to health just like other plastics.

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