Just to clarify, plastic bags have not been banned in China. The ban is on free plastic bags. Instead of receiving free bags with their purchases, consumers have to pay a small price for each bag they want. This does reduce their use and encourages people to carry reuseable bags.

Thanks for the clarification. I think that it's also worthwhile to note that only certain places are prohibited from giving free plastic bags (supermarkets, hypermarkets, and (legal) convenience stores for example).

You can still get free plastic bags when ordering takeout. In fact, I went to the grocery store today to pick up a drink and some rice, then went to get some take out next door. The restaurant asked me whether I'd like an extra bag to put the rice and soda in!

You can also get the free bags for fruit and veggies at the grocery store when you are buying by weight. Just not at the checkout.

I'm enjoying the new regulations. Hopefully it will continue to cut down on the number of Carrefour bags floating around in the streets.

Thanks for pointing out the extra details.

I expect to see more places selling reuseable bags and more people using them, which I also hope will reduce the amount of trash in the streets.

One practice that may make bringing your own bag when shopping a little inconvenient is that at many larger stores they make you put backpacks and related items in lockers before entering. I don't know whether they will make an exception for reuseable shopping bags.

I used the reusable shopping bag in slidell louisiana when I lived there. This cut down on a lot of back ache since you do not buy as much and try to carry the weight as the plastic bags make you carry them and they break usually with too much weight or groceries .so try the reusable bags they are really great. walmart even sells them that are insulated fro hot or cold food for 2.00 and that is a bargain.

looking out at kansas city in the rain

Contrary to myth, popular belief and those frightened into anything plastic can be reused and in particular reused for fuel (cheaply it seems) Korea has a boiler and burner unit already in production that does just that in the agricultural industry. Reading a blog clearly identifies the ability to convert plastic in landfills to useable fuel safely. Now who would have thought. Check it out over on <link> I do not know if we can post links but if not just look up Waste Plastic Technology on Google. Surprise Surprise This makes petroleum reuseable and eliminates the plastic waste problem nicely don't you think. The Koreans do not seem to just scurry around like mindless quacks who jump on any bandwagon regarding environment but seem to take hold of issues and determine solutions. This one perhaps makes real sense in an area clouded with shouting Al Gore's.

It's more energy efficient not to use the plastic bags at all. Recycling is not nearly as efficient as reusing something, or never using it at all!