China announces plastic bag ban

[Henny]

China announces plastic bag ban
The Chinese government says it is banning shops from handing out free plastic bags from June this year, in a bid to curb pollution.
Production of ultra-thin plastic bags will also be banned, the State Council said in a statement.

Instead, people will be encouraged to use baskets or reusable cloth bags for their shopping, the council said.

The move comes amid growing concern about pollution and environmental degradation in China.

China was using huge quantities of plastic bags each year, the State Council, China's cabinet, said in its directive, posted on the main government website.

"Plastic shopping bags, due to reasons such as excessive use and inefficient recycling, have caused serious energy and resources waste and environment pollution," it said.

Easily discarded

Of particular concern were cheap, flimsy bags that many shopkeepers routinely handed out to customers.

"The super-thin bags have especially become a main source of plastic pollution as they are easy to break and thus disposed of carelessly," the statement said.

Shops that violated the new rules could be fined or have their goods confiscated, it said.

The council also called for greater recycling efforts from rubbish collectors, and suggested financial authorities should consider higher taxes on the production and sale of plastic bags.

In recent years, China's rapid development has triggered concerns over pollution and use of resources.

But correspondents say that there is a growing awareness that more needs to be done to protect the environment.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/7178287.stm

Published: 2008/01/09 07:38:14 GMT

[Xavier_Onassis]

In Cuba, people sell recycled plastic bags from the US outside supermarkets in a clandestine, illegal way, for one Cuban peso (10?) each.
If they catch you, they will fine you and take all your bags and money on the first offense, but you can actually get sent to jail for selling used plastic bags on the street there.

The cops need to be either very gung ho or very bored to go after this particular crime, I hear.

[hnumpah]

In Saudi Arabia, even in the desert far from most towns, it wasn't unusual to see plastic shopping bags blowing in the wind. We called them desert jellyfish.

[Xavier_Onassis]

The other ubiquitous things I note nearly everywhere is empty plastic water bottles and batteries, AA and AAA mostly.
Twenty years ago anyone who suggested that people would pay $1.00 for a bottle of water would be tagged as insane. But here in Miami, there are people selling cold bottled water (available uncooled at any Wal*mart for about 29? if you buy 24 or so) for $1.00 at most major intersections.