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Daily Times, 1.22.07
Thousands of plastic bags are thrown away everyday in Pakistan, which results in choked drains, bacterial germinations, water borne diseases and the spread of mosquitoes. Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency Director General says the situation is “grim”. “We need a mass awareness campaign and cooperation of the people to control the use of polythene bags.” He said that almost 47% of solid waste remains uncollected in the country and that the mixing of polythene bags with human, animal and industrial residues worsens the problem.
Deputy managing director of the Water And Sanitation Agency supports a ban on the use of polythene bags, which may see difficult as 250,000 people are employed in this industry.
Daily Times
news.gov.hk, 12.5.06
Thanks to the wide support of major supermarket and retail chains, the 'No plastic bag day' campaign will be extended to 2007.
The Environmental Protection Department said the patrons include Wellcome, Park n Shop, China Resources Vanguard, Watsons, Mannings, 7-Eleven, Circle-K, DCH Food Marts, City' Super, A-1 Bakery and ThreeSixty. They promised to have the campaign at least once a month.
Since June, more than 30 major supermarket and retail chains have joined the voluntary scheme to reduce the indiscriminate use of plastic shopping bags.According to a Green Student Council customer survey, participating retailers distributed an average of more than 40% fewer plastic bags on 'No plastic bag days'.
news.gov.hk
news.gov.hk, 11.29.06
Supermarkets have handed out 80 million fewer plastic bags since the launch of the voluntary pact on plastic-bag reduction, Secretary for the Environment, Transport & Works Dr Sarah Liao says. The three major supermarket chains have achieved 24-29% cuts, far above their 15% target.
To reduce the indiscriminate use of plastic shopping bags, Dr Liao said a study report on a plastic shopping bag levy - including its feasibility, options, level of charge and scope, the environmental benefits of various options and their impact on the trades - will be completed by the end of this year.
news.gov.hk
Japan For Sustainability, 8.16.06
The Japan Franchise Association announced on May 29, 2006 that 12 major operators of convenience stores have set up five-year plans to reduce the consumption of plastic bags. Starting on June 1, 2006, they will eventually reduce the total consumption in each store by 35 percent by 2010, as compared with 2000 levels.
They are driving forward the reduction plan by such specific measures as; asking customers buying fewer items to have store stickers placed on them instead of having them packed in plastic bags (the stickers indicate that the item has been paid for); and promoting simpler packaging by in-store announcements and/or posters.
Japan For Sustainability
Channel News Asia - Singapore, 4.14.06
HONG KONG : Hong Kong holds its first No Plastic Bag Day on April 15 as part of city-wide efforts to go green.
More than 1,200 retailers have signed up to charge 7 US cents for each bag, instead of offering them for free as they usually do.
The one-day experiment may become a permanent measure.
Young cyclists with placards have taken to the busy streets of Hong Kong with one mission in mind -- to put the brakes on the use of plastic shopping bags.
Said Angus Ho, chairman, Green Student Council, "The plastic bag ... is a very small thing but it can influence their habits, so they will not waste many natural resources."
The sense of urgency is clear, and for a good reason too.
Every day, the city consumes more than 30 million plastic bags, or five bags for every resident.
If you laid those bags side-by-side on the ground, they would occupy the space of 26 Victoria Parks, Hong Kong Island's largest park.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/eastasia/view/203104/1/.ht
The Standard - Hong Kong, 4.6.06
More than 20 young cyclists rode through the busy streets of Kowloon Wednesday to ask shops to participate in Hong Kong's first No Plastic Bag Day on April 15.
Members of environmental organization Green Student Council were joined by other cyclists for the morning ride from Tsim Sha Tsui's landmark Clock Tower to Mong Kok and back.
Along the way they played a recorded message on a speaker to promote No Plastic Bag Day, and invited shop owners to join.
Shops participating will not offer free plastic bags to customers for the day. Instead, shoppers will have to pay 50 cents for each bag. Proceeds from the event will go to Oxfam Hong Kong.
Green Student Council chairman Angus Ho said the event addressed concern over massive overuse of plastic bags in the city.
Hong Kong consumes 33 million plastic bags - 5 per resident - every day. Australia, with 20 million people, uses a quarter of that number of bags a day, and Ireland, which introduced a bag levy in 2002, uses a third.
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=15
Asahi Shimbun - Tokyo,Japan, 4.1.06
Charge fees for the bags, but the measure will be included in guidelines for retailers on how to reduce the estimated 30 billion plastic bags circulating...
Sorry! Article no longer available.
Taipei Times, 9.19.05
Those who fail to properly sort their garbage face fines of between NT$1,200 and NT$6,000, prompting many to be more careful...
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2005/09/19/200327
The Telegraph, 9.15.05
Planning to visit the jungles of Jharkhand or the Rajrappa temple next month? Carry everything, except for plastic and polythene bags.
The reason: the state forest and environment department has decided to ban the use of any type of polythene in the national parks, reserves forests, sanctuaries and zoos across Jharkhand from next month.
The department has also decided to put a blanket ban on the use of polythene bags within a two-kilometre radius of the Rajrappa temple, where thousands of devotees visit everyday from various parts of the country.
Sources in the department said the decision has been taken according to the provisions of Environment (Protection) Act of 1986. The department had been receiving a large number of complaints from local forest officials about the indiscriminate use of polythene bags in national parks, sanctuaries and reserve forests...
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050916/asp/jamshedpur/story_524367
The National - editorial, 9.13.05
THE restraining order issued by the Deputy Chief Justice on Wednesday, relating to the ban on plastic bags, is a temporary measure.
The issue is destined to re-appear in court for a full hearing and judgement.
A catalogue of woe was revealed in court by the owners and managers of two major manufacturers of plastic products.
And the implied threat to demand compensation from the Government should the present legislation survive, appears to be a classic case of profits and jobs on the one hand, versus the environment, civic pride and the health of the population on the other.
http://www.thenational.com.pg/0909/editorial1.htm
Sun Star - Philippines, 9.2.05
DO PLASTIC bags contribute to flooding?
This is what the Western Indian State of Maharashtra thinks so. They ban the manufacture, sale and use of all plastic bags, saying they choked drainage systems during the recent monsoon rains. Flooding and landslides killed more than 1,000 people in the state. The ban carries a fine of 5,000 rupees (P6,200) for manufacturing and selling plastic bags, and 1,000 rupees (P1,233) for individuals caught using it. The Northern Indian State of Himachi Pradesh, a popular tourist destination, is the first Indian state to impose a similar ban on plastic bags. The penalty for those using a polyethylene bag is US$2,000 or seven years imprisonment.
Flooding is also the reason why Bangladesh enforced a complete ban on the sale and use of polyethylene bags in the capital, Dhaka. Millions of plastic bags disposed of everyday are clogging Dhaka's drainage system, posing a serious environmental hazard. It is identified as one of the leading causes of severe flooding in 1988 and 1998. They are now promoting the use of jute bags as an alternative...
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/pam/2005/09/02/oped/rox.pe.a.htm
Ireland Online - Dublin,Ireland, 8.30.05
Japan could be the latest country to follow Ireland's lead by introducing a special anti-litter tax on plastic bags.
Japanese officials are due to meet Minister for the Environment Dick Roche later today to find out more about the measure.
The introduction of the 15-cent levy in Ireland has been credited with reducing the use of plastic bags by 90%.
http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=154196048&p=y54y96754
ABS CBN News - Philippines, 8.27.05
The traditional bayong, for instance, is due for a comeback. Made from coconut leaves and other natural components, the bayong is as environment-friendly as you could get.
It’s about time the government showed it is seriously addressing the energy crunch caused by skyrocketing oil prices in the world market.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=14821
msnbc.com, 8.26.05
State officials tie flooding that killed 1,000 to clogged gutters
BOMBAY, India - The western Indian state of Maharashtra on Friday said it is banning most plastic bags, blaming them for choking drains and causing floods a month ago that left more than 1,000 people dead, most in Bombay.
Businesses caught using them would be fined 5,000 rupees ($114), while individuals would have to pay 1,000 rupees.
“Gutters choked with plastic bags caused the flooding which led to enormous losses for the state,” the chief minister said in a statement. “The media and environmental and citizens’ groups demanded that plastic bags be banned, so we are banning them.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9085301/
Press Trust Of India / Mumbai, 8.25.05
Maharashtra government has decided to ban the use of plastic bags, which choked the water outlets and caused water logging in the state leading to huge losses in the recent floods.
“Mumbai alone suffered losses of around Rs 4,000 crore, including damage to property, in the recent floods due to choking of drains because of plastic bags, which also had its effect on public health,” chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said after a meeting of the state cabinet here.
However, the government would give a 30-day period before implementing the decision, in order to enable individuals and organisations to file their objections and suggestions, Deshmukh said.
Traders, retailers and hawkers found using plastic bags would be fined Rs 5,000 or asked to pay a fine proportionate to the stock of such bags found with them, he said adding that third time offenders would face a three-month imprisonment.
Similarly, enforcing authorities would also be penalised with steps like stoppage of increments, for failure to implement the ban, Deshmukh said.
“For third time offenders, we will resort to a departmental inquiry, leading to suspension of the official,”he said.
The demand for a ban on plastic bags was made by several sections of the society and the media had also highlighted the perils of using them, the chief minister said.
http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage.php?storyflag=y
Sun Star - Philippines, 8.19.05
GOODBYE to plastic bags, hello bayong!
Starting this week, patrons of 'Tabo sa PAO' at the provincial nursery compound in Barangay Daro must bring their own non-plastic bags.
The no-plastic bag policy as agreed during the recent forum between the provincial agriculture office and vendors of the flea market.
Nitz Bangay, PAO information officer, said the vendors agreed to gradually phase out plastic bags to wrap their sold products.
Bangay said the practice will continue until consumers start getting used to a plastic-free shopping at the tabo.
The move, she said, is a bid to boost the plastic bag eradication campaign in the province aimed at alleviating the garbage problems arising from the non-biodegradable industrial product.
Customers must henceforth bring and use bayong, a bag crafted from buli that are made by farmers to augment their income, Bangay said.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/dum/2005/08/19/life/plastic.bags
sina.com.cn - Beijing, China, 4.5.05
…One aspect of the pollution that is very noticeable in this windy city is the plastic bags that swirl gracefully among the tall buildings till they are captured by some tree branch or that skitter along the roadways and sidewalks until they are picked up by the sanitation workers. But too often these ubiquitous plastic bags end up in the city's potentially lovely waterways…
…I have the perfect readymade Chinese solution for this problem, but it is a solution that many Chinese, especially younger city folk, have abandoned: those wonderful cloth bags with the circular plastic rings as handles…
http://edu.sina.com.cn/en/2005-04-05/32606.html
Calcutta Telegraph, 2.5.05
After an inspection revealed that the two-year-old plastic ban was not being adhered to in the Alipore Zoological Gardens, the West Bengal Pollution Control board (WBPCB) recently slapped an order on the authorities to take corrective measures immediately…
…The order directed the zoo to take the following steps…Display banners for sensitising visitors about the ban on plastic bags…
…The zoo has asked the stall-owners in its compound not to use or distribute plastic carry-bags and containers, and has also initiated talks with Indian Plastic Federation on recycling of the waste…
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050205/asp/calcutta/story_4337541.
China Daily - Beijing,China, 1.31.05
Plastic bags were prohibited for environmental concerns in the town and some other parts of the Tibetan autonomous prefecture, I was told...Local authorities were finally fed up and launched a mass campaign in 1998 to do away with what they called the most disgusting "visual stain" on the face of Shangri-la.
In order to clear the ground for the ban, the local government bought back all plastic bags from stores and stalls of all sizes. Following that, the use of plastic bags has been subject to a heavy fine...
Sorry! Article no longer available.
The Statesman - Kolkata, India, 11.11.04
The state pollution control board has empowered the forest officials of Sunderbans to move court against tourists littering the place with plastic and other non-bio-degradable wastes. Once proved guilty, the person can be sentenced to five-year imprisonment and can be fined Rs 1 lakh under the state Environment Protection Act, 1986.
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=22&id=88032&usr
Shanghai Star, 2.15.04
After an initial setback, the city is still planning to end the practice of providing free plastic bags to shoppers in supermarkets.
With the aim of protecting the environment, the issuing of the free bags was supposed to stop at the end of last year but many supermarkets, fearing loss of trade, continued the practice.
The number of plastic bags used in the city is amazing. The Lianhua Supermarket Co Ltd purchases 390 million plastic bags of various sizes every year. Hualian Supermarket consumes 6 million bags in a year.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-02/15/content_30619
Knight Ridder Newspapers, 3.7.03
Aiming to cut overall plastic waste by 30 percent, Taiwan passed a law banning the free distribution of plastic bags and utensils in restaurants, department stores, supermarkets, convenience stores, and fast-food franchises. Taiwan currently uses 20 billion plastic bags per year (or 2.5 bags per person per day). The crowded island nation is running out of landfill space and incineration isn’t a sustainable solution. As a result of the ban, the plastics industry could see its business cut in half and 50,000 jobs lost, but the government is offering assistance to laid-off workers and low-interest loans to help companies adjust their business strategies.
http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Bans/Taiwan-Bans-Plastics7mar03.
The Times of India, 3.5.03
Ok, it’s old news that polythene bags under 20 microns have been banned. That was last year. So what’s new? A recent raid conducted by the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) in and around Kolkata has put shops like Bata, Sen Mahasay and several medicine stores in a soup.
Sorry! Article no longer available.
Mainichi Daliy News, 11.15.02
An editorial discussing the merits of adding a fourth "R" to "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle".
"...if we were to bring our own shopping bags to the stores that we patronize, and refuse to accept store bags and store wrapping paper, we would surely succeed in reducing the amount of garbage that we produce. Until now, consumers have not actively "refused" packaging that is provided by stores, so we recommend that "refuse" be added to the Three "R's" to become the Fourth "R" of the garbage reduction campaign..."
Sorry! Article no longer available.
The Japan Times, 10.24.02
Officials, stores in the Suginami Ward, of Tokyo join forces to promote environment-friendly shopping.
An estimated 190 million polyethylene shopping bags are used in the ward every year. According to the ward, around 3.5 million liters of crude oil are needed to produce this number of bags. The bags also accounted for 4 percent of the ward's 25,443 tons of incombustible garbage in fiscal 2001, it said.
Officials have a goal to have getting 60% of shoppers to use reusable shopping bags by 2007.
Initiatives include a nationwide system under which shoppers may show cashiers a card indicating that they don't need a plastic bag, ans implementing a tax modeled after Ireland's PlasTax
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20021024b7.h
The Japan Times, 11.17.01
Residents back 5 yen tariff -- but shop owners concerned.
Officials of Suginami Ward, Tokyo, said Wednesday they will propose that a 5 yen tax be imposed on each petroleum-based plastic shopping bag used in the ward's supermarkets and grocery stores, with the aim of reducing garbage. Ward officials said the special-purpose tax is expected to generate an estimated 400 million yen annually. The funds would be used for various environmental activities, including the preservation of old trees.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20011117b2.h
The Times of India, 10.3.01
The Delhi government has missed the woods for the trees. Instead of going after polybags, it has banned carrying food in recycled plastic bags. Now people can use virgin plastic bags for carrying food. But that leaves the same number of polybags in the environment before and after the ban.
The main problems associated with polybags still prevail. Cows will still get killed because the change in the microns does not make a difference to their intestines. Polybags will still clutter and choke sewers. A thicker polybag does not increase the income of rag pickers either.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/xml/uncomp/articleshow
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