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Plastic bag ban is weak

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-03-24 07:46

The comeback of free plastic shopping bags reveals holes in the ban issued last year, says an article on the website www.qianlong.com. Following is an excerpt:

Scores of retailers in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, have resumed offering free plastic shopping bags to consumers about half a year after the adoption of the curb.

One of the reasons for the resurgence is citizens' weak sense of the need for environmental protection. But it's unfair to solely point the finger of blame at consumers. If no retailers had offered free plastic shopping bags to consumers, the revival would not happen.

In fact, the original measure of only limiting the use of "free plastic shopping bags" is a temporary solution because it only controls the consumption of plastic bags but fails to limit their production.

What we should do is control production.

What's more, the enforcement of the curb is rather weak, which is another reason why free plastic bags have resurfaced so quickly.

Loose punishment of those who violate the curbing measure sends a signal to the market that free plastic bags can be used without being punished.

(China Daily 03/24/2009 page8)