Are you ready to start paying for plastic bags?
It came as a surprise to most when earlier this year China's State Council announced plans to impose limits on the use of plastic bags starting from June 1. The new regulations were introduced as part of a campaign to reduce energy consumption and the amount of Baise wuran, or white pollution, caused by the excessive use and low rate of recycling of plastic bags in China. With just over two weeks before the new regulations – which ban the production, sale and use of ultra-thin bags (defined as less than 0.025 mm thick) and prevent supermarkets and shops from giving away free plastic bags to customers – go into effect, Beijing's supermarket chains are busy getting ready. Reports in yesterday’s Beijing Evening News (translated summary available here) reveal that major supermarket chains such as Jingkelong, Carrefour and Chaoshifa have started to introduce new thicker bags that can hold up to 20kg and that will sell for somewhere between 1 and 4 mao each. The new bags will gradually be introduced into other Beijing supermarkets over the next couple of weeks. Some of the new bags, which according to CRI, bear safety tips and suggestions on how to preserve the environment, appeared at Wumei stores yesterday. It's hoped that by making customers pay for bags, they'll have an incentive to bring their own reusable bag.
The State Council announced the new regulations after store-run campaigns (that included the sale of alternative cotton or canvas bags at reduced prices and checkouts devoted to customers not using plastic bags) to reduce the use of plastic bags were not as successful as hoped. Recently Wal-Mart has started to open up similar "green" (绿色通道) lanes for customers who are willing not to use plastic bags. The lanes are likely to be quicker and if you didn’t bring your own bag you can purchase a 3 kuai reusable bag from the checkout.
Links and Sources
CRI: New Plastic Bags Debut in Beijing
The Beijing News: 厚版塑料袋最贵四毛钱
NetEase: 新版塑料袋价格一至四角 最高承重20公斤
China News: 新版塑料袋价格每个0.1-0.4元 已做好上市准备
China Retail News: 17 Shopping Malls Begin Propaganda For Plastic Bags Ban
Chinese Government Official Web Portal: China to limit use of plastic bags from June 1
Reuters: China launches surprise crackdown on plastic bags
The Beijinger: Apathetic but hot?
The Beijinger: City Scene: Lexicon
Treehugger: China Launches Crackdown on Plastic Bags
Beijing Review: Out of the Bag
Times Online: Why settle for the real thing when you can queue for a genuine fake?
China Safety Consumption Website: Are you ready to pay for plastic bags?
National Geographic: Photo: China Bans Free Plastic Bags
Plastic Bags Reduction Network (Chinese NGO)
Xinhua: 生活观察：超市环保购物袋在北京遭冷落
Hebei: 廊坊沃尔玛超市购物使用环保袋可走"绿色通道"