Green NGOS go forforth& multiply

• Source:
• [21:29 December 07 2009]
• Comments

Li Tong, 40

administrative manager

Paying for plastic bags helps reduce white plastic pollution. Supermarkets are one of the major sources of Chinese plastic bags and if they are no longer free, people won't use them as they like. White plastic pollution mostly now comes from hawkers and small shops. They consume huge numbers of ultra-thin plastic bags every day, much more polluting than the degradable bags.

Jiang Yilei, 29

editor

This regulation raises environmental awareness and forces people to act. Before the regulation, many people talked about "white plastic pollution" a lot but when they went to the supermarket, they still chose to use plastic bags. Now more and more people bring bags themselves, which helps save resources and reduce pollution. Others have designed creative shopping bags.

Hu Ziyuan, 32

administrator

On the plastic bag issue, in my opinion, it is not the ideal way to force customers to buy a plastic bag. The best way is for shops to prepare paper bags or bags made of other materials.

Chen Zixu, 33

bank employee

I think it's totally useless. It's not a ban on plastic bags, because people can still use them if they pay. The policy is only beneficial to supermarkets. They can now earn money from plastic bags.

Shuai Xiang, 54

university professor

Personally I think it's quite effective in reducing plastic bag usage. Now I don't use plastic bags unless it's absolutely necessary. But I think the whole idea of imposing charges for plastic bags is not about the money, but about raising people's environmental awareness. Because the money we pay for plastic bags is much less than the price we pay for eliminating the harm plastic bags do to the environment.

Liu Jingwei, 28

market analyst

It's a good attempt at reducing white plastic pollution. However, we may have to buy extra garbage bags instead of using plastic bags from supermarkets.

Zhang Deli, 24

secretary

Firstly, China's regulation on paying for plastic bags is an effective way to avoid white plastic pollution. Secondly, it can cultivate a kind of saving concept and you can use the same plastic bag to shop many times.

Chen Xiaoli, 25

saleswoman

It came as a surprise but anyway I am ready to follow the campaign to reduce white plastic pollution. But in some local fruit and vegetable markets, the plastic bags are still being used. Only in the supermarket is this regulation effective. I hope every person can bring their own reusable bag, not only to the supermarket but also when they are in fruit and vegetable markets.

Tomorrow's topic

What do you think of traffic restrictions in Beijing? Are they an effective means of addressing air pollution?