Although I agree that Japan uses lots of plastic everywhere, I can see how the sheer size of stuff in the US can easily offset for that. The average American man weighs 50% more than the average Japanese man (200 lbs vs. 135). The average househould trash container in the US is the size of a garbage truck in Japan (being dramatic with this one, but less than you'd think).
The trash cans I have seen in Japan are roughly the same size as the ones I see in the US. The garbage trucks are smaller (to fit on smaller roads).... but they have a lot more of them!
