Wow! I was beginning to wonder if China was ever going to make any move to affect the serious plastic bag problem. When you combine a massive population buying daily food and China's lack of eductation on how to care for their environment, you get plastic bags hovering around the cities and running down the streams.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce is going to implement a law beginning 1 June to force retailers to charge customers for the plastic bags. In addition, a minimum thickness for the bags will be set. Amen.
According to the article on China Daily, retailers must put the cost of the plastic bags on the receipt and cannot charge less than cost. Of course, if we just think about that a minute, we realize that cost on a plastic bag is far less than a penny. Even if the price of the bags is not much, it will at least make consumers that much more aware of the bag itself.
The thickness was another big problem. I cannot even remember how many times retailers try to talk me into double bagging my groceries. "The bags are too thin." I just have to wonder, "Why not buy bags that are marginally more expensive but much thicker, then use half as many and save yourself money?" That is just too logical.
So, the government has stepped in where I never thought they would step in and are going to force it to happen. Bravo. The measures are small, but we will soon see how much different it practically makes. Something needed to happen.
