China Bans Plastic Bags

[299 bloor call control.]

Is this posturing or is China taking the lead on the issue to show they're serious about the environment?

China bans plastic shopping bags
Jan 08, 2008 07:58 AM
Guo Shipeng
Emma Graham-Harrison
Reuters

BEIJING – China launched a surprise crackdown on plastic bags on Tuesday, banning production of ultra-thin bags and forbidding its supermarkets and shops from handing out free carriers from June 1.

China uses too many of the bags and fails to dispose of them properly, wasting valuable oil and littering the country, China's cabinet, the State Council, said in a notice posted on the central government Web site.

"Our country consumes huge amounts of plastic bags every year. While providing convenience to consumers, they have also caused serious pollution, and waste of energy and resources, because of excessive use and inadequate recycling," it said.

Worries about pollution are growing among ordinary citizens, as years of breakneck growth take their toll on the country's air and water, but the new ban may not be universally welcomed.

Late last year the southern boom town of Shenzhen sparked a public controversy by unveiling draft regulations to ban free plastic bags in its shops.

Shopkeepers fretted that customers might be turned away and some people accused the government of making residents shoulder the costs of environmental protection.

Part of the new rules seem similar to the Shenzhen plan, stating that from June shops, supermarkets and sales outlets would be forbidden to offer free plastic bags and all carriers must be clearly marked with their prices.

"We should encourage people to return to carrying cloth bags, using baskets for their vegetables," the notice said.

In addition the manufacture, sale and use of bags under 0.025 mm thick is banned from the same date, with fines and confiscation of goods and profits for firms that flout the rules.

The cabinet also said finance authorities should consider adjusting taxes to discourage the production and sale of plastic bags and encourage the recycling industry.

Rubbish collectors were urged to separate plastic for reprocessing and cut the amount burnt or buried.

The move brings China in line with a growing international trend to cut back use of plastic bags. From Ireland to Uganda and South Africa governments have experimented with heavy taxes, outright bans or eliminating the thinnest bags.

In some countries where the central government has not acted communities ranging from San Francisco to a small British town have taken unilateral action to outlaw the carriers.

Chinese people use up to 3 billion plastic bags a day and the country has to refine 5 million tonnes (37 million barrels) of crude oil every year to make plastics used for packaging, according to a report on the Web site of China Trade News (www.chinatradenews.com.cn).

 

[299 bloor call control.]

City ponders plastic plan
RON BULL/TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO
Plastic shopping bags are widely used at stores throughout the Greater Toronto Area.
Jan 08, 2008 11:06 AM
John Spears
CITY HALL BUREAU

Toronto councillors and bureaucrats will present a plan this spring on how to reduce the use of plastic shopping bags, as well as all other consumer packaging, says the chair of the city's works committee.

Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker called a year ago for a 90 per cent reduction in the use of plastic shopping bags. As a result of De Baeremaeker's push for fewer bags, the city struck a working group with retailers and food industry representatives to look at the issue.

Ontarians use about 2.5 billion plastic bags a year, an average of four a week per person.

"We're looking at all types of in-store packaging,' De Baeremaeker said in a interview today.

De Baeremaeker's comments came as China announced a crackdown on plastic bags, banning production of ultra-thin bags and forbidding its supermarkets and shops from handing out free carriers from June 1.

China's cabinet, the State Council, said in a notice said the country uses too many of the bags and fails to dispose of them properly, wasting valuable oil and littering the country.

De Baeremaeker says his committee is considering a range of options, including charging fees for packaging.

"Plastic is a big one; clamshell containers that people take their lasagna and salad out with; coffee cups," he said. "We're looking at all garbage and figuring out how we can get it into a blue box and how we can produce less of it."

"In Ireland where they introduced a 20 cent per bag levy, they've had a 90 per cent reduction in the use of plastic bags," he said.

"I think that's an excellent model. It's one very good option the city is investigating, and may in the end follow."

"We're still looking at the pros and cons of everything. But our goal is to divert 70 per cent of waste from the landfill site. How do you do that? We have to give people the right economic signals."

 

[Jayomatic]

Now if they can build garbage chutes into condo units directly and bypass the need to package everything in a plastic bag, then we'd be talking about reducing garbage.

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=hm8LimgwrX0

 

[Hydrogen]

Good one.

 

[billonlogan]

China announced a crackdown on plastic bags, banning production of ultra-thin bags and forbidding its supermarkets and shops from handing out free carriers from June 1.

I think the rest of it goes like this.... offenders will be shot on site.

Nice gesture on the Chinese, now free Tibet and get the hell out of there.

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

less bags means more oil. will the extra supply of crude lower prices, i think not!

 

[Redroom Studios]

China and India will be the worlds first countries forced to deal with environmental realities that we are all faced with. For the most part China has been reluctant to take action on the environment in the fear that it could hinder the economic boom there. (the reason often cited by US, Can and other industrial nations) Hopefully this ban on plastic bags is the first step in a long list of improvements for the Chinese environment.

But the mere fact of their huge populations is going to force them to make change... or face some terrible catastrophe. Maybe it is already too late as the Gobi desert is expanding quickly, and is claimed to be only 70km from Beijing. Cant wait till Olympic events are cancelled because of dust storms... will the western nations learn from any catastrophe in China or India, or will we keep marching to the same death?

 

[Redroom Studios]

Now if they can build garbage chutes into condo units directly and bypass the need to package everything in a plastic bag, then we'd be talking about reducing garbage.

thats just the tip of it.... what about recycling programs in condos and apartments? Even if they are implemented there are still assholes out there that dont care and will contaminate the recycling stream with their garbage. Nevermind the war on terror, how about the war on garbage? Ah right, no money in that...

 

[urbandreamer]

They've got compressed-air cars now; could compressed-garbage cars be far behind?

 

[299 bloor call control.]

Further on the plastic bag front, T&T Supermarket is now using 100% Biodegradable Bags