Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, June 2Title: 10 years of "plastic restriction order": mixed results, plastic bags are still the "protagonist"

Xinhua News Agency reporter

The "Notice of the General Office of the State Council on Restricting the Production, Sale and Use of Plastic Shopping Bags", known as the "plastic restriction order", has been implemented for a full decade. Reporters found in many places that in some large supermarkets, catering companies and other places, the paid use of environmentally friendly plastic bags has been promoted, and substandard plastic bags are hard to find. However, in some small markets, shops and other places, ultra-thin plastic bags, non-degradable plastic bags, etc. are still the "protagonists" of packaging. The "plastic restriction order" and even the "plastic ban order" piloted in some areas are still difficult to fully promote and implement, and the public's usage habits need to be improved.

Limits can be imposed on large supermarkets, but not on corners

The "Plastic Restriction Order" requires that, from June 1, 2008, the production, sale and use of plastic shopping bags with a thickness of less than 0.025 mm will be prohibited throughout China, and a paid use system for plastic shopping bags will be implemented in all supermarkets, shopping malls, farmers' markets and other commodity retail places. Reporters visited Tianjin, Wuhan, Shijiazhuang, Changchun and other places and found that the plastic restriction measures are generally well implemented in large supermarkets, but plastic bags are still widely used in farmers' markets or small shops.

In some large supermarkets, reporters found that substandard plastic bags and other products are hard to find, and instead, they are replaced by paid degradable plastic bags. Some consumers will also buy reusable cloth bags or other environmentally friendly bags.

But in farmers' markets, small shops and other places, non-degradable plastic bags and other products are still popular. In some places, plastic bags of various colors are used in large quantities in vegetable markets, and consumers do not need to pay extra for plastic bags. At a breakfast stand near Hongqi South Road in Tianjin, the reporter saw that a customer bought two fried dough sticks and used three bags, and bought two wontons and used five bags. The bags were also free to use.

Yang Yong, a vegetable operator in Handan, Hebei, said that many people would bargain when buying things at the farmers' market, so they were naturally unwilling to spend extra money on plastic bags. If he was the only one in the market that forced money to be collected, it would definitely affect business.

The demand for plastic bags is still strong, and non-environmentally friendly products still account for the majority

The "plastic restriction order" has played a positive role in reducing white pollution and protecting the ecological environment. However, the rapid development of some industries still has a very strong demand for plastic bags.

At lunch time, the reporter saw at a restaurant in Nankai District, Tianjin that many takeouts were packaged in "one box and one bag", and when multiple orders were ordered at the same time, they would also be covered with large outer packaging bags of varying numbers. Calculated based on at least one plastic bag and one plastic lunch box for a takeout, China may generate tens of millions or even more plastic bags every day.

The growing express delivery industry is also a major user of plastic bags. Statistics show that in 2016, China used about 6.8 billion plastic bags for express delivery. Wang Li, vice president of the School of Resources and Environmental Engineering at Wuhan University of Science and Technology, said that some express delivery companies, although the outer shell is a cardboard box, still use a large number of plastic bags, tapes, etc. in the cardboard boxes, and the packaging is mostly disposable, which is difficult to recycle effectively. Relevant industry insiders pointed out that most of the plastic bags and related products currently used in express packaging are non-degradable.

In the field of daily consumption, the demand for ultra-thin plastic bags and non-degradable plastic bags is also strong. In a comprehensive market in Chaoyang District, Changchun City, a shop that mainly sells plastic bags and other products displays a variety of plastic bag products, most of which are priced at 0.1-0.2 yuan per unit. The reporter learned from the inquiry that these lower-priced plastic bags are non-degradable and have very good sales. Degradable plastic bags are generally more expensive and almost no one buys them.

Jilin Province implemented the "plastic ban" from January 1, 2015, prohibiting the production, sale and provision of disposable non-degradable plastic shopping bags and plastic tableware throughout the province, but some people are still "taking advantage of loopholes". "Some people buy a bundle of degradable bags while buying non-degradable bags, just in case someone comes to check and quickly change them." A plastic bag operator said. A fruit sales stall owner said that many people in the market use bags that are delivered to their doorsteps, and generally a bundle of 50 bags costs only about 3 yuan.

During the interview, the reporter found that due to different divisions of labor and institutional adjustments, some local development and reform, environmental protection, industry and commerce and other departments lack an overall grasp of the market, and many places do not even have a complete statistical figure on the production and sales of plastic bags.

Lack of confidence in strict management, "plastic restriction order" needs to be upgraded urgently

In Hebei, Jilin, Hubei and other places, a series of publicity related to plastic restriction and plastic ban has been carried out in recent years, advocating people to use more environmentally friendly products such as vegetable baskets and cloth bags, and less or no plastic bags, and giving corresponding punishments to those who produce and use unqualified plastic products. However, the reporter learned that the impact of the "plastic restriction order" on the market is still limited, and the confidence to really enforce strict management is slightly insufficient.

In response to the repeated bans on ultra-thin plastic bags, the person in charge of the market department of the Handan Municipal Administration for Industry and Commerce said that farmers' markets and small shops are mobile operations, and usually "guerrilla warfare" with law enforcement personnel. Small manufacturers can produce with a factory and a few machines, often in an "underground state", and most of them are acquaintances, with single-line sales, and are highly concealed. In addition, consumers' weak environmental awareness and convenience in everything have also increased the difficulty of "plastic restriction" governance.

A staff member of the market supervision department said that handling a case of illegal sales and use of substandard plastic bags often requires multiple procedures such as investigation and evidence collection. The law enforcement department has limited personnel, and it is difficult to fundamentally and effectively manage widespread violations. Industry insiders revealed that in some places, small plastic bag manufacturers always "tacitly" close down a few days before law enforcement, and then resume production after the limelight has passed.

Experts pointed out that there are currently many advocacy and encouragement measures on plastic restrictions, and there is a lack of strict enforcement of relevant laws and regulations, so the effect is difficult to guarantee. "The "plastic restriction order" is very meaningful, but it cannot just stay at the advocacy level. It is also necessary to pay more attention to mandatory requirements, such as further refining relevant regulations from the legal and regulatory level, and clarifying the punishment measures for violating the corresponding regulations. Regulatory authorities should also further strengthen supervision and inspection." Wang Li said. (Liu Shuo, Zhao Hongyu, Liang Jianqiang, Zhai Yongguan)

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