As U.S. Cities Waver on Plastic Bag Tax, China's Bag Ban Saved 1.6 Million Tons of Oil

A "conservation bag" on sale in Beijing. Flickr:  Xiaming

A ban on super thin plastic bags cut the use of 40 billion bags, reduced plastic bag usage by 66 percent and saved China 1.6 million tons of petroleum, according to recent government estimates, Worldwatch reports.

In a byzantine federal-local system in which officials often flaunt national environmental policies, China's bag policy is widely considered to be a shining example of the powerful, positive effects Beijing can have over the environment when it chooses to.

Last week, as the U.N. Environment Program's chief called for a global ban on plastic bag production, Washington, D.C., approved a bag tax. But Baltimore backed out on a bag fee, and a week-old bag ban in Philiadelphia was killed, apparently under pressure from lobbyists of the petroleum and retail industries.

Though government estimates sometimes deserve to be taken with a heavy grain of MSG, and the plastic bag has been met with heavy skepticism, the ban appears to be having a significant effect.

Compliance isn't uniform. A recent survey by Beijing-based non-governmental organization Global Village showed that while nearly 80 percent of people support the ban on free plastic bags, more than 80 percent of retail outlets in rural areas ignored the ban.

Since March, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce has deployed 600,000 regulators to inspect 250,000 retail stores or markets for free plastic bags and non-eco-friendly bags. About 2,000 cases were investigated and 2 million yuan of fines imposed.

The SAIC recently issued a memo warning supermarkets providers of "substandard or free plastic bags" could be fined up to 10,000 yuan ($1,470), and may be subject to one of China's most popular forms of punishment: media exposure.

Last year, state media reported that China's largest plastic bag factory closed following the imposition of the ban in January 2008.

China Daily notes that fashion may be helping to advance the government's policy. Tote bags with hip designs -- or "conservation bags" -- are a must-have accessory for youth in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai.

The Anya Hindmarch "I'm Not a Plastic Bag" tote caused such a stir in Hong Kong last year that authorities "banned" its sale in Beijing. The counterfeiters were already hard at work.

Besides leading to rampant pollution that ends up in trees and harms birds and fish -- what China refers to as "white pollution" -- plastic bags are seen as a scourge because they aren't often recycled. While the plastics industry says more than 90% of Americans reuse their bags at least once, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates they are recycled at less than one-third the rate of paper bags.

Ireland imposed a tax on plastic grocery bags in 2002, San Francisco became the first U.S. city to ban conventional plastic grocery bags, in 2007, and Los Angeles will follow suit in 2010.

Steiner's call for a global ban on the bags cited the fact that plastic is the largest source of ocean litter.

The second most abundant ocean pollution, as Matthew noted last week, is cigarettes. 

Ocean debris worldwide kills at least 1 million sea birds and 100,000 mammals each year, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association has estimated. The litter is most severe in the east Asian seas region, which includes countries such as China with a population 1.3 billion people and where, according to UN figures, almost 60 percent of men smoke.

Beijing has also imposed a partial smoking ban, and this month called for a ban on smoking in hospitals.

Article by Alex Pasternac Treehugger.com

Recycling To-Go Plastics

What happens to this packaging after you've enjoyed the yummy food inside?

Even for the greenest recycling junkie, to-go plastics are sometimes unavoidable. From microwave dinners to Chinese takeout, single-use plastics are everywhere.

The trick is knowing what to do with that ketchup-covered foam clam shell once you’ve devoured your fries. Here’s your guide to recycling your common to-go plastics.

Expanded Polystyrene Foam

Coffee cups, to-go boxes, foam packaging peanuts, foam crates

Polystyrene foam is widely used because it’s lightweight, easy to ship and works well with both hot and cold food and beverages.

Made from plastic #6, polystyrene foam is comprised of 97 percent air. It is easily carried by wind and water currents to all reaches of our planet, and its unsinkable nature makes it a main component of marine debris.

The main reason curbside programs do not accept polystyrene foam is because after the material is placed in a commingled bin, scooped up on a recycling truck and transported to a facility, it becomes contaminated with dirt and other materials. Because most curbside programs do not wash the material, recyclers have a hard time with it.

There are several community programs that will recycle the material. But if there are no programs that fit your specific needs or are near your location, AFPR offers a mail-in program for consumers. Average shipping fees range from $1.50 to $9, based on the total packaging weight and volume. Since EPS is extremely lightweight, it can be economically shipped to a regional location.

Plastic #5 Containers

Microwave trays, yogurt cups, hummus tubs, cottage cheese containers

Up until recently, most community curbside recycling programs didn’t accept #5 plastics. And while 28 of the 100 largest U.S. cities now collect plastic containers beyond bottles, many areas still do not.

Because #5 has a similar type resin to that of #2 (which is found in soda and water bottles), many reclaimers are starting to find ways to incorporate it into other products. Garbage and recycling bins, water filtration systems, shipping pallets, sheeting and automotive battery casings are just a few of the products that can be made out of recycled polypropylene.

If your community doesn’t have curbside #5 recycling, check out the Preserve Gimme 5 program.

You can either drop your #5 plastic containers off at designated Whole Foods locations or mail them directly to Preserve, where they will be remade into items such as razors, toothbrushes, cutlery and mixing bowls—all of which are fully recyclable.

Plastic Bottle Caps

Just by physical touch, you can tell the texture and durability of most plastic bottles is different from their caps. This is because bottles and caps are made from different types of plastics.

Plastic #1 PET, often comprises plastic bottles, while plastic #5 PP makes up the caps. So, what’s the big deal if the bottle is a #1 and the cap is a #5? They’re both plastic right?

It all comes down to the melting point, which has a difference of nearly 160 degrees Fahrenheit between the two. If a cap gets mixed in with bottles, the entire batch may be ruined because there is un-melted plastic in the mix.

To check if your city accepts caps for recycling call or visit the Public Works or Department of Sanitation section of its website.

If you’re still short on options, Aveda now accepts #5 plastic bottle caps for recycling at its stores and salons. Any Aveda network salon or store will accept the caps to be made into new Aveda caps.

Disposable Dinnerware

Plastic dishes, cups and cutlery

The average American office worker goes through around 500 disposable cups over the course of 12 months. Americans even toss out enough paper and plastic cups, forks and spoons every year to circle the equator 300 times.

Much of the common disposable dinnerware, such as plastic utensils, cups and plates, is made from plastic #6. It’s the same resin used to make polystyrene foam, but because these materials are not extremely lightweight, they are easier to recycle.

Plastic Bags

Due to their light weight, most curbside programs do not accept plastic bags. They can easily get stuck inside machinery when recycled as well. Most grocery stores throughout the U.S. now offer plastic bag recycling. The trick is actually remembering to take those excess bags with you next time you go to the store.

Although many consumers reuse plastic bags in their homes for daily tasks such as doggy duty or taking out the trash in the bathroom, recycling your plastic bag will ensure that it won’t eventually end up in the landfill.

Article by: Amanda Wills at Earth911.com

DID YOU KNOW??

Somewhere between 500 billion and 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year. - National Geographic News, September 2, 2003.

75% of American shoppers say their purchasing decisions have been influenced by a desire to save energy and improve the environment. – Zogby/TechNet poll

70% of consumers say they would choose a green product if offered. – CBS MarketWatch survey

57% of American companies have either a formal or informal green purchasing policy. – EcoMarkets survey

64% of government buyers in the United States are subject to a green purchasing policy of some kind. – Commission for Environmental Cooperation survey