Source: CCTV.com

01-18-2008 11:40

China will ban free plastic bags used in retailers across the country starting June 1st. In Beijing, some large supermarkets and home electronics stores have started offering free paper bags instead.

In Beijing, some large supermarkets and home electronics stores have started offering free paper bags instead.

This is one of the largest electronics chain stores in Beijing. Paper bags are available for free. When customers ask for some kind of packaging, the check-out person offers paper bags for small goods and wraps larger goods to avoid using plastic bags.

One salesperson in Suning said "We started offering free paper bags to customers last week. More than 100 bags are used every day."

Starting the middle of next month, Suning will provide paper bags in 600 stores across the country. Other large retailers, like Carrefour and Gome, have adopted various measures to avoid using plastic bags. These include setting up express check-out lines for customers who use their own bags and providing cotton bags.

One shopper said "Paper bags can be re-used and are environmentally-friendly. We support the new measure."

Some have asked if the free paper bags will increase cost pressures on the companies that use them. Despite the higher cost, paper bags are generally better designed and can be used for longer periods of time than plastic bags. They also seem to satisfy customers. Companies say the free paper bags are an acceptable cost, which can be viewed as an advertising expense.

Editor:Xiong Qu