Ban on plastic bags shows mixed results
Post date :
13/08/2008 17:54
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Staff Reporters
China's recent ban on plastic bags, a government policy laid down by the State Council since June 1 this year, has received mixed responses. The public¡¦s assessment towards the new policy, as well as the execution of the new regulations, have attracted much divided opinions.
Use on consumer plastic bags reduced in megastores
The ban on plastic bags has shown encouraging start in most megastores. Shopping malls, supermarkets and bookshops are relatively successful on limiting consumers using plastic bags. According to Dong Jinshi, vice president of China Plastics Industry Association Recycling Plastic Committee, the plastic bags consumed through megastores have been greatly reduced by 80% to 90% since the ban. Besides the provision of payable plastic bags, some stores have voluntarily distributed alternatives including paper bags, non-woven bags and also eco-friendly carrier bags to their customers.
With plastic bags subjected to financial charges, consumers have generally welcomed a "greener" shopping model. As shown by a survey conducted by the academics from the Wuhan University of Technology on July 25, over 80% respondents reflect that they have now preferred to bring their own plastic/cloth bags.
Under the current ban on plastic bags, many shoppers have adjusted their shopping habit and preferred to bring their own carrier bags before they shop. Those buying items in small quantity take their goods home without asking for any carrier bags.
Consumption of plastic bags remains huge
Non-woven bags are recommended alternatives to plastic bags, but the design of non-woven bags need improve to meet puplic needs. |
Ironically, the ban on plastic bags does not lower consumption of bags ¡V shoppers can now collect ¡§pre-cut shopping bags¡¨, which is freely distributed in megastores.
Though the number of "Vest-like" plastic bags distributed in supermarkets and shopping malls has decreased drastically, the amount of free ¡§pre-cut shopping bags¡¨ consumed is on the rise. Data released by the Beijing Carrefour, Lotus and Wu Mart Supermarkets shows that an additional 30% to 40% ¡§pre-cut shopping bags¡¨ were consumed since the ban.
Furthermore, the ban on plastic bags is far less effective in other retail locations. For instance, most food markets in China are still giving out free plastic bags to customers. Many stall owners are willing to distribute free bags if shoppers insist, some of them even charge the customers with the forbiddened ¡§super-thin plastic bags¡¨, which they claim are ¡§eco-friendly bags¡¨.
Plastic bags replacements in doubt
Though eco-friendly bags, non-woven bags and paper bags are recommended alternatives to plastic bags, some of these replacements are unpopular.
The green plastic bags after-sales service launched by Guizhou Huilin degradable plastic Co. Ltd. could well illustrate this dilemma. The company set up trading points in Guiyang City¡¦s fair markets, allowing dealers to trade eco-friendly bags directly without passing through any third-party middleman. In fact, some dealers in Guiyang have intentionally kept their eco-friendly bags in stock, hiking the price of these bags from RMB0.20 to RMB0.80 cents.
In Guiyang, many customers and retailers are still using ¡§super-thin plastic bags¡¨ instead of ¡§eco-friendly bags¡¨. Many producers of ¡§eco-friendly bags¡¨ are on the verge of closure.
The ban on plastic bags does not help the sales of non-woven bags either. A stall owner selling non-woven bags in Yiwu Small Commodity Market reveals that the stall mainly relies on wholesale, and the shop can barely sell less than 20 bags in one day. One buyer even complains that the design of non-woven bags looks too ordinary, as there is a lack of patterns on the bags.
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