China Bans Plastic Bags "banning shops from handing out free plastic bags" Is it ok if the merchant charges a penny or two per bag?
Re: China Bans Plastic Bags No. In the old time, we carried baskets made by bamboo or vines. Looks China is finding all the way it can to get back to good habits.
Re: China Bans Plastic Bags Recent years, I was dismayed by the rampage of Western style consumerism sweeping in China with the income gaps, failed of American style health care reform and the worst--environmental degradation and pollution. Of course, the slow path of political reforms in government and the one-step forward, one-step backward media control. But this past year, some good news (beside the miracle economic growth) came out out of China: --China just passed the car emission standard that is same as Europe (better than North America); --A new national health care system for farmers which already covered 80% of them (685 millions) and will cover ALL Chinese by 2010 --This one may knock you guys over--according a new survey of Chinese communist ranking officials--almost 90% of them are dissatisfied with the slow movement of political reforms. And they want things move faster.
Re: China Bans Plastic Bags Australia is in the process of doing this as well. I think customers will be required to bring carry bags to the store to use instead of plastic bags.
Re: China Bans Plastic Bags I'm not going to knock China for this move. Every little bit helps. But, to address Shitsters usual "China rules, America sucks" bullshit. I will point out that China's environment is horribly polluted and any action taken by the government in China is not really because they care so much about the environment, but because pollution is one cause of social unrest in China. Not to mention skyrocketing healthcare costs. Take a look at this article for one small example: As China Roars, Pollution Reaches Deadly Extremes Again, I applaud China for moving in the right direction, but I'm not sure they should be off the hook just yet.
Re: China Bans Plastic Bags Another way is banning the produce of thin plastic bags. A lot of new habits are not good at all. Remember back, we don't have refrigerator and everybody eat the fresh food. That will reduce a big chunk of energy usage. Car is another problem.
Re: China Bans Plastic Bags Electricity is not problem. But the how we make it and how much we use it inefficiently is a problem. If we can get the electricity by renewable energy without burning too much oils (even worse, unclean coals), then it is better to conserve. Same as running water. Consider the water will get less and less, we should shut down (or find alternative) on those industry that use too much water.
Re: China Bans Plastic Bags I heard they are replacing the plastic bags with lead bags. ba-dah-bump (Disclosure: Proud [re]user of canvas bags since 1989.)
Re: China Bans Plastic Bags I have about 100 of those plastic bags in my trunk awaiting to be recycled.
Re: China Bans Plastic Bags When they talk about pollution...are they talking about air pollution from the production, water pollution from the degradation, or just plain trash, like every other third world country?
China has shown to be more then capable of using their textiles to make numerous goods. What is to prevent them from making a burlap or other organic carrying bag in place of plastic bags? Hell that could be a major export item if they are made cheap enough and could replace plastic bags everywhere.
They've been banned by most supermarket stores for the past year or so over here. People get used to it and adapt to it much quicker than you'd imagine. Just leave a few re-usable ones in the trunk of your car.
Canvas sacks made from hemp (the very word "canvas" having derived from "cannabis"). You know, that fibre crop that once was second only to cotton fibre in the US, but is now illegal to grow (the US being the only industrialized country to ban its growth).
Paper bags? I hear that some European countries are schedulled to ban plastic bags as well. Australia is thinking about it too. I have a friend who imports plastic bags from China and she says the companies that manufacture plastic bags are very concerned about losing the business. Especially the European business, because their biggest market is Europe.
I read some info that it is a very good business that can make $100K profit per year. But it costs about $200K for initial investment. So if those companies are 2 years old, they probably already make money back. I heard that many of them are looking for a change now. Actually in Lijiang, Yunnan, there was a ban about 5 years ago.