わけーあり...a.k.a 'There is a reason'...ak.a....Ethical consumerism

Ethical consumerism is starting in Japan.

Go and have a look at what the Japan Times has to say about the birth of 'wake-ari', or 'there is a reason', or ethical consumerism in Japan. 
I love to see this. It's a great step. A very small step, but getting it out in to the consciousness is the way forward. 
Let's talk about the three Rs for a bit - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
First up, let me say that beyond any doubt for me, Japan does the best job recycling in the world. I get in trouble at home if I even put plastic in the recycling bin without washing it.
Recycling is sorted here. Other countries could take a leaf out of (a used) book.
But, and a big but, recycling is the final step of a three pronged attack (Shinzo Abe styles, three arrows.)
The first is Reduce, and I am afraid that it is not a pretty scene here guys.
The three areas I see for improvement in reduction is:

• Chopsticks - Yes, with bento on the road, the disposable wooden chopsticks are very convenient. One use and wasteful, but convenient. I am as guilty as the next guy when it comes to this. One use disposable chopsticks in restaurants though? Come on. We have to stamp this out and start insisting on proper chopsticks. Why the disposable chopsticks in a restaurant? I've never seen disposable knives and forks in any restaurant worth its salt.
• Bakery - Not the bread, it's all good, as long as it's all eaten, which I'm sure it is. It is the plastic-o-rama that is associated with a visit to any bakery. Each baked good has its own plastic bag, and they are grouped into a bigger plastic bag, until they are all finally put in a bigger plastic bag. They are eaten the same day, and those plastic bags are the evil, dirty, filthy, non-recyclable, straight into the landfill or incinerated variety.
• お土産 - I know I'm throwing a spanner in the works by bringing up the souvenir tradition, but surely we can realize that there is a power of plastic used in the individual wrapping of things. And it again is the nasty, non-recyclable stuff. This is a tough one, as it is such a foundation of workplace culture. I don't know. Does anyone?