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If China Can Ban Plastic Bags, Why Can't We?

Communist governments may be oppressive to American eyes, but they do have the power to make sweeping environmental changes. Key example: China.

As Jacques Leslie reports in our current issue, China is the world's top CO2 emitter and uses more coal than any other nation. But in a bid to reduce pollution, effective June 1, the country's Communist government has banned those flimsy, white, petroleum-based plastic bags. And not just in a few cities, but across the entire nation of 1.3 billion people.

"While [the bags] providing convenience to consumers," the central government said in a statement, "they have also caused serious pollution, and waste of energy and resources, because of excessive use and inadequate recycling," China uses about 3 billion plastic bags a day.

Thicker plastic bags will still be allowed, for a fee, but the government is highly encouraging people to use traditional baskets or re-usable cloth bags. Citizens have been receptive, perhaps because pollution is so bad in China that most have experienced its effects (poor water quality, lung-searing smog) firsthand.

One consequence could be, since production of the bags in China will be banned, that perhaps we'll end up with fewer over here. Everything else we sell is made in China, if our plastic bags are too we might face a welcome shortage.

Comments

Good and interesting piece.

American policies with regard to pollution and the planet are insane. We can do so much better.

Thanks

Posted by: capt on 01/11/08 at 7:45 AM Respond

If the Chinese government or people get an environmental thing 'right,' there is no corporate lobby there (at least not much of one yet) saying 'no', and fighting for years against it.

One of the benefits of a socially-controlled economy.

Posted by: Elydog on 01/11/08 at 9:16 AM Respond

Truly it is STUPID to seek to ban something just because it's visible.

Yes littered plastic bags are an annoyance, but what we have is a human behavior problem, not because of some intrinsic problem with plastic bags.

Oops I forgot, with this crowd the fact that it IS plastic IS the PROBLEM.

Fools.

Posted by: Johnny Lucid on 01/11/08 at 9:24 AM Respond

Thanks for the article.

China can do it because it has a VERY centralized government. Things can change overnight without any questions asked (by the citizens) or any lawsuits. This is one of the reasons why they have been able to relocate many factories outside of Beijing for the "blue sky" during the Olympics Games, which remains to be seen.

Posted by: Alan on 01/11/08 at 9:37 AM Respond