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Culture Connection

When John Peterson invented the plastic grocery bag in 1979, could he have imagined the dire effects his brainchild might bring to the world? An estimated 1.2 trillion of the nasty little eco-time bombs are now produced annually, each taking a mere 1,000 years to break down into their toxic components. An estimated one million seabirds are killed each year by plastic, plus 100,000 seals, sea lions, whales and dolphins.

Nobody in their right mind would describe China as an environmental role model, but last month the Chinese Government did something that shows red is slowly but surely embracing green: it banned plastic bags (from June). Anyone who has travelled around rural China and who has despaired at the site of trash-filled rivers and Tibetan prayer flags festooned with gaudy plastic will surely be delighted.

While banning the bag in China might seem like an obvious move to some, the Chinese Government should be commended, and a few western countries could do with taking note. If the new legislation is effective, the advantages could be enormous. The Chinese people currently use up to 3 billion plastic bags a day, and the country has to refine 37 million barrels of crude oil every year to make the plastics used for packaging.

A few forward-thinking Beijing shops already seem to be heeding the environmental call. When I popped in to Jenny Lou’s recently to stock up on western essentials, I was happy to see re-usable eco-bags on sale for a trifling 2 yuan, and duly splashed out on a couple. Although my local supermarket persists in double wrapping my already packaged toilet paper, I’m still thrilled to proclaim “Bu yong daizi,” and whip out my green Jenny’s bag to a chorus of “oohs” and “aahs” from senior shoppers nearby.    

Of course, it won’t all be plain sailing in the war on plastic. Many Chinese supermarkets seem to assume that all their customers are thieves, with shoppers forced to leave their own bags in lockers by the entrance to prevent pesky pilfering. Come June, it’ll be interesting to see whether Beijingers are permitted to start using their own bags, or are made to buy the branded eco-bags that will surely replace their plastic counterparts.

For some Beijing residents, less plastic may also mean less income. According to the World Bank, China’s legions of scrap collectors numbered around 2.5 million in 2005. In Beijing, an industrious scrap collector can earn around 1,000 yuan a month, about half of what a Beijing cabbie brings in, although the environmental clampdown may make plastic bottles an even more precious commodity.

The likelihood is that we won’t have to worry unduly about the prospects for Beijing's trusty recyclers. China’s annual garbage production is projected to reach a colossal 400 million tons by 2020, and with other countries generously sending over their waste too, there’s every chance there’ll be plenty of trash to go round. Let's hope it can be dealt with in an efficient and responsible way. Banning plastic bags is a great start.