China to launch plastic bag inspection campaign

Xinhua, July 9, 2011

China will launch a nationwide inspection campaign to limit the production and sales of plastic bags in an effort to save resources and reduce "white pollution."

The campaign will begin in July and last for two months, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said in a circular posted on its website.

Other government authorities will join in the campaign, including the Ministry of Industrial and Information Technology, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Commerce.

The circular asked local authorities to increase inspections of plastic bag manufacturers and punish those who are found to be producing wasteful and inefficient ultra-thin plastic bags.

Retail managers will also be punished if their stores are found to be selling ultra-thin plastic bags, the circular said.

China began banning the practice of giving away free plastic bags and prohibited the production and usage of plastic bags thinner than 0.025 millimeters with a regulation passed on June 1, 2008.

The regulation has prevented the consumption of more than 24 billion plastic bags, or 600,000 metric tons of plastic, over the past three years, according to the NDRC.