Updated January 19, 2020, 8:42 p.m.
China is the world’s largest producer of plastic and now bans plastic bags in supermarkets and the use of single-use plastic products in hotels and restaurants.
The State Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) announced on Sunday in Beijing a gradual, “ambitious plan” to reduce plastic waste over the next five years. After that, plastic bags may no longer be released in large metropolises and supermarkets from the end of this year. At the end of 2022, the ban will also apply in smaller cities. At the end of this year, plastic straws will also be banned nationwide.
China is the largest manufacturer of plastic and accounts for around a third of global production. Since the billions of people consume a lot of plastic and are little recycled, the plastic pollutes the landscape and often ends up in the sea. With the plan, the Chinese government hopes to “effectively control plastic pollution” by 2025 and “significantly reduce” the amount of plastic waste in the dumps of major cities.
Plastic cutlery is also prohibited in restaurants
According to the plan, catering in large cities will no longer be able to use plastic cutlery from the end of the year – in smaller cities from the end of 2022. Disposable plastic products should also be reduced in hotels. From the end of 2022, star-rated hotels will no longer be able to offer their guests products such as toothbrushes or combs. Rather, they should be sold via vending machines. In the bathroom of the hotel rooms, soap should be available in refillable containers. All hotels and accommodations in the country must follow by the end of 2025.
Parcel services in big cities like Peking, Shanghai or in economically booming provinces such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian or Guangdong are no longer allowed to use plastic bags as packaging from the end of 2022. Courier services are also prohibited from using woven plastic bags. At the end of 2025, the ban should also apply nationwide, according to the instructions on the website of the Reform Commission, the highest economic governing body.
Alternative: environmentally friendly bags made of fabric or paper
The ruling also confirmed the existing ban on imports of plastic waste. The production and use of particularly thin plastic bags or such films for agriculture are also prohibited. While less plastic is used, alternative products should be promoted, the directive says. In supermarkets and other stores, environmentally friendly bags made of fabric, paper or other degradable materials are to be used. Food packaging should also consist of materials that naturally decompose. (Ash / dpa)
According to a study, the Mediterranean Sea is the sea with the largest garbage load in Europe. The French marine research institute Ifremer said that the amount of waste has risen continuously since 2009.
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