中国はコンビニバッグ禁止だとさ

　国務院がコンビニバッグの無料提供とその生産用のフィルムの生産を6月1日から禁止することに決めたそうだ。
　当然これは環境に配慮するというような綺麗事で決まったわけではなく、石油資源の台所事情によるところが大なんだろうけども、いずれにしても独裁国家はこういうことが素軽くやれるところだけはいいなｗ

China: crackdown on plastic bags

By REUTERS
Published: January 9, 2008
The State Council, China's cabinet, banned the production of thin plastic bags and will forbid China's supermarkets to offer them free beginning June 1, saying they cause pollution and waste resources. The council said shoppers should return to using cloth bags. The Chinese use up to three billion plastic bags a day and the country has to refine 37 million barrels of crude oil every year to make plastics used for packaging, according to a report on the Web site of China Trade News.

China announces plastic bag ban

Last Updated: Wednesday, 9 January 2008, 07:38 GMT
The Chinese government says it is banning shops from handing out free plastic bags from June this year, in a bid to curb pollution. Production of ultra-thin plastic bags will also be banned, the State Council said in a statement. Instead, people will be encouraged to use baskets or reusable cloth bags for their shopping, the council said. The move comes amid growing concern about pollution and environmental degradation in China. China was using huge quantities of plastic bags each year, the State Council, China's cabinet, said in its directive, posted on the main government website. "Plastic shopping bags, due to reasons such as excessive use and inefficient recycling, have caused serious energy and resources waste and environment pollution," it said. Easily discarded Of particular concern were cheap, flimsy bags that many shopkeepers routinely handed out to customers. "The super-thin bags have especially become a main source of plastic pollution as they are easy to break and thus disposed of carelessly," the statement said. Shops that violated the new rules could be fined or have their goods confiscated, it said. The council also called for greater recycling efforts from rubbish collectors, and suggested financial authorities should consider higher taxes on the production and sale of plastic bags. In recent years, China's rapid development has triggered concerns over pollution and use of resources. But correspondents say that there is a growing awareness that more needs to be done to protect the environment.