An implementation plan on dealing with pollution attributable to plastic bags in Shenzhen has been released recently, Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported.
The beginning of 2021 has witnessed a shift from the restraint of using nondegradable plastic bags to prohibition of them at venues such as shopping malls, supermarkets as well as in the takeout service.
According to the report, a couple of large shopping malls and supermarkets such as Vanguard and Walmart all offer degradable plastic bags.
Also, a wide array of food and beverage companies have positively responded to the initiative of discarding non-degradable plastic bags and tableware. For example, starting from 2021, KFC officially introduced environment-friendly packing articles, which replace the former plastic straws with paper ones and substitute wooden tableware for disposable plastic tableware. In McDonald’s, plastic straws have disappeared, replaced by a new-type of cup cover for which straws are no longer necessary. A variety of milk tea shops and cafes have replaced plastic straws with paper or degradable ones.
However, for the purpose of hygiene and food safety, plastic prepackaged bags, rolling bags and freshness protection bags are not included in the range of prohibition.
Lots of businesses still provide free plastic bags. Some of them said the available degradable plastic bags should be more affordable.
To promote the plan, local market supervision authorities have joined hands with some volunteers to visit communities and farmer’s markets, to interpret relevant policies on the prohibition of nondegradable plastic products and encourage businesses and citizens to participate in the environmental protection campaign.