China to charge for plastic shopping bags

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Source: CCTV.com | 02-20-2008 09:25

The country will charge for plastic shopping bags starting June 1st.

The country will charge for plastic shopping bags starting June 1st. For stores and supermarkets, the price set for each plastic bag is essential to the new policy.

For stores and supermarkets, the price set for each plastic bag is essential to the new policy.

Professor Mao Shoulong of Public MGMT. Dept., Renmin University, said, "For stores, it could be a dilemma. If they charge too little, the new policy will be void. But if they charge too much, they may lose customers. "

And customers have their own opinions.

Ten jiao is one yuan.

The price of one yuan may not be accepted, but the ultimate goal of changing people's consumption habits is winning some experts support.

Professor Mao Shoulong said, "The significance of the policy is to give our customers a clear signal, telling them what the government is encouraging, and what it is not. Using plastic bags is not wrong, but it's not something we encourage."

Experts say the cost of each plastic bag meeting the new production standards will be between one jiao and three jiao.

The policy won't take affect for a few months, but some cities have already taken actions. Many supermarkets in Beijing have opened "Green Check Out Paths", for customers who do not use provided plastic bags. And various types of recyclable shopping bags have been put on shelves.

As supermarket customers start to abandon plastic bags, buyers at outdoor markets are still relying on them. Those bags are of poor quality and are free of charge.

A seller said, "We use almost five hundred bags each day."

Experts say the enforcement of the new policy will be difficult at outdoor markets, and more efforts are needed from both the government and the public.

Editor:Zhang Ning