Environment

China Bans Plastic Bags

by Jarrett Martineau | January 9, 2008 at 09:25 am

295 views | 2 Recommendations | 1 comment

4-5 trillion plastic bags are produced annually. If you haven't already, I suggest doing some research into other alternatives.

China’s surprise crackdown on plastic bags, announced on Tuesday, will prohibit the production and distribution of ultra-thin bags beginning June 1. The ruling bans the manufacture, sale, and use of plastic bags under 0.025 millimeters thick and prohibits supermarkets and shops nationwide from handing out the sacks for free. With the move, China joins a growing list of regions, from San Francisco to South Africa, that are using taxes, bans, and other regulations to try to decrease the prevalence of the ubiquitous bags.

Some 4 to 5 trillion plastic bags—including large trash bags, thick shopping bags, and thin grocery bags—were produced globally in 2002, according to the Worldwatch Institute’s State of the World 2004 report. Roughly 80 percent of those bags were used in North America and Western Europe. Every year, Americans reportedly throw away 100 billion plastic grocery bags, which can clog drains, crowd landfills, and leave an unsightly blot on the landscape.

0 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | Digg | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend Add a comment

Rob Peters

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 17:36 on January 9th, 2008

I've been seeing similar stories about this issue in other countries as well. Glad to see baglessness is becoming a phenomenon.

in China, Europe, North America, Environment, San Francisco, Africa, Bans, regulations, sale, taxes, Production, trash, Trillion, tuesday, REGIONS, nationwide, june, GLOBALLY, Ruling, bags, plastic, grocery, SUPERMARKETS, distribution, beginning, shops, handing, produced, manufacture, landfills, ultra-thin, sacks, prohibit, prevalence, millimeters, culturite, Worldwatch

I want to write something I've got photos and video

Tell me how to get published

Author

Jarrett Martineau

Vancouver, Canada

See more recent stories

See Jarrett Martineau's recent stories

First Flagged at 5:36 PM, Jan 9, 2008 by Rob Peters

These members have powered this story:

angelica
Mexico City, Mexico, Mexico
Newbirth
California, California, United States
lightspeedchick
FuzzyDicePHL
Pottstown, Pennsylvania, United States
Grafxcowgirl
San Antonio, Texas, United States
imagefixation
San Francisco, California, United States
myshipoopi
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, United States
samjsimon
Burlington, Vermont, United States
elle_rigby
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
MadeIn1984
Magnolia, Texas, United States
WildMouse
Mooresville, Indiana, United States
PinkMoose
Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada
sbluerock
Dayton, Ohio, United States
jeffhester
Aliso Viejo, California, United States
reharden
Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
only-connect
San Jose, United States
keyofe
Newport News, Virginia, United States
gerard yates
Stamford, Connecticut, United States
noodlenate
Paso Robles, California, United States
shooster
Central Toronto (The Annex / North Midtown / Yorkville), Ontario, Canada
zebra7777777
Houston, Texas, United States
florence_hwang
Central Toronto (The Annex / North Midtown / Yorkville), Canada
JAGage
Twin Cities, Minnesota, United States
cityhippy
Letchworth, HRT,
steph.ruane
Nepean (Davidson Heights), Ontario, Canada
Idiolector
Bloomington, Indiana, United States
mommy peace
Shawnee, Oklahoma, United States
maintrainonline
Meridian, Mississippi, United States
snap shot beginner
glitterstar
Eau Claire, Wisconsin, United States
adornacher
Chicago, Illinois, United States