The plastic bag ban is moving slowly but surely in the UK where citizens are replacing the plastic with renewable canvas. But countries such as China are still struggling to follow suit and enforce the ban on plastic bags. The 1.3 billion people who reside in Beijing still stride up and down markets gathering bag after bag. The use of bags in China result in 1.6 million tonnes of waste each year; a figure the Chinese government wants to decrease to 1.1 million tonnes.
As the Chinese government realises the widespread degradation of the environment, they are cracking down with strong penalties for careless use of plastic bags. For example, shop owners who give out plastic bags for free will be charged with a hefty fine of 10,000 Yuan (£715). The charge has been decreased from the original amount of a 30,000 Yuan fine.
Plastic bags are responsible for filling up landfills and decreasing the quality of wildlife habitats. In a zoo in Beijing a panda starved and had to put to sleep due to a tourist who fed it feed wrapped in a plastic bag. To add insult to injury, China spends 37 million dollars each year on oil to produce the harmful bags.
Officials are worried about their ability to enforce the ban. Sze Pang Cheung, communications director for Greenpeace China, said: "China has had a poor record of enforcing its environmental law in the past — laws about pollution, the environmental impact assessment in factories. Many of the pieces of legislation are well-drafted, but the problem is enforcement." China's ambition is to join a small number of countries — from Ireland to Bangladesh — that are already implementing similar rules." (Quoted in The Times)
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This post was written by Christine Pinella on June 8, 2008