The ongoing volatility in the Middle East has sent shock waves through global energy markets, hitting East Asia at an overlooked but critical point: the plastic supply chain. The resulting squeeze on naphtha – a key petrochemical feedstock – is driving up costs for everything from medical syringes to food packaging. For Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, this “naphtha shock” has exposed their economic vulnerability inherent in a fossil-fuel-dependent plastics economy.

Research by Greenpeace shows that together, these three economies account for roughly 11 per cent of annual global plastic polymer production capacity. Their heavy reliance on Middle Eastern imports leaves them acutely sensitive to supply shocks. We have already seen supply panics in South Korea over basic items like garbage bags, while in Japan, food packaging production has been hit hard. Notably, snack maker Calbee was forced to switch to black-and-white packaging as the conflict impacted ink supplies.

Policy responses have been mixed. South Korea has been the most proactive, unveiling an ambitious plan to reduce plastic use. By reframing plastic reduction as a matter of energy security rather than just environmentalism, it has set a target to cut new plastic use by 30 per cent by 2030.

In contrast, Taiwan’s response has been contradictory. While it encourages the use of reusable bags, the authorities have also moved to address the plastic bag shortage by boosting production equivalent to 1.25 billion low-cost bags a month. Japan’s progress also remains sluggish, with policies still largely skewed towards recycling rather than the more impactful strategy of reuse.

Such hesitant moves risk locking these economies further into a disposable, fossil-fuel-dependent cycle. To be effective, governments must move towards absolute plastic-reduction targets and pivot from recycling to prioritising reuse. The current supply shock offers a chance for these economies to recalibrate. Scaling up reuse systems – such as refillable containers and returnable packaging – could deliver not only waste reduction but also meaningful cuts in oil demand.

East Asia’s plastics economy has long been tethered to cheap fossil fuels. Doubling down on this model is a dangerous trap that deepens the climate crisis and leaves the region permanently vulnerable to the next supply shock. Governments should seize this moment to accelerate the shift towards circular-economy business models.