China Environmental Law

The trajectory of Chinese law implementation is pretty predictable.  First, there is the trial phase; a few test cases in this city or that province just to make sure that there aren’t any unanticipated issues.  Next, the big national roll out.  Spotlights scanning the the sky, lots of press, lots of banners, interviews with excited (and occasionally befuddled) citizens.  Third, about a year after the effective date, a “strike hard” campaign is initiated to enforce compliance, because the thrill is gone, and many people have gone back to their old (now illegal) ways.

We are in Phase Three with respect to China’s plastic bag ban. 

The Chinese State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) announced on 27 March that it has been tasked to conduct special inspections on retail outlets to ensure compliance with the country’s ban on the production, sale and use of plastic shopping bags thinner than 0.025mm, by 1 May 2008.

While the SAIC notes that “results have been achieved” (I wish I could think of phrases like that), “there are still some weak links,” especially in rural areas.

Therefore, SAIC will conduct “special inspections” to attempt to root out the following:

• Converters selling plastic shopping bags without the necessary business enterprise license
• Entities (including retailers) selling plastic shopping bags that do not conform to national standards
• Illegal plastic shopping bag manufacturers, wholesalers or importers
• Retailers that do not present customers with receipts indicating the quantity of plastic shopping bags purchased, the unit price and total amount of money bought
• Retailers that do not indicate the unit price of the plastic shopping bag on the packaging

A new public awareness campaign will also be launched including the “use of banners, television bulletins, seminars, and trucks with loudspeakers blaring messages about the limitations on plastic bag usage.”  Nothing influences my behavior nearly so effectively as the blaring of a truck-based loudspeaker. 

My personal observation has been that compliance with the policy at least within the outer-ring road in Shanghai has been pretty good.  袋子吗?  I never buy the bags so I can’t comment on their thickness.  I’m quite sure, however, I could not tell a 0.025mm bag from a 0.030mm bag. 

Remember when judging compliance that vendors do not need to charge for plastic bags for unpackaged food items (from raw meat to youtiao), although the bags they use must be “thick” ones.  Guys, I know you like the ultra-thins, but really it’s time to give them up.

(h/t @sinocanadian )