China's standardization office has issued draft regulations
covering plastic shopping bags, soliciting public opinions on the
subject.
Plastic bags will cost shoppers money as of June 1, and the bags
will be subject to stricter production standards as well, the
Standardization Administration of China (SAC) said in a
release.
Under the draft standards, published on the central government's
web site (www.gov.cn) recently, the
thickness of plastic bags for shoppers should be at least 0.025 mm,
without bubbles or perforation.
Also, plastic bags for food should be marked "for food only" and
bags must carry warnings such as "keep away from infants and
children to avoid suffocation."
Also, bags should have tips to remind consumers to re-use them
for the sake of environmental protection and energy
conservation.
Manufacturers must also clearly mark the producer's name and the
bag's accurate strength in terms of kilograms.
Supermarkets giving free bags will face a maximum penalty of
30,000 yuan (4,000 U.S. dollars), under a related regulation from
the Ministry of Commerce.
Citizens who want to comment on the standards can visit the
SAC's site (www.sac.gov.cn),
download feedback forms and submit them before the deadline, which
is March 4.
(Xinhua News Agency February 8, 2008)