Half of India’s states and union territories have introduced a blanket ban on plastic bags, and yet many shoppers remain wedded to the flimsy carrier bags while plastic waste still litters the streets of the South Asian nation. In mid-January, Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir became the latest state to prohibit all polythene bags, in accordance with a ruling by its High Court. It joins 17 other states and territories governed by New Delhi that have imposed a complete ban on the sale and use of plastic bags, including Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. Five other states – Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Odisha and West Bengal – have partial bans on the use of plastic bags around sites of religious, historical or natural importance, or during the pilgrimage season, according to data provided to the Thomson Reuters Foundation by India’s Central Pollution Control Board. Despite this, change is barely visible on the ground. In mountainous Jammu and Kashmir, for example, shopkeepers and vegetable sellers still pack goods in plastic carrier bags before handing them over to customers. “We have been hearing this for a long time – I don’t think (the ban) is going to work,” said Mohammad Yasin, who sells vegetables in Srinagar city’s Zainakote area. The government of Jammu and Kashmir had already banned bags made of polythene – a common form of plastic – with a thickness of less than 50 microns a year ago, but to little effect. “It is not only up to us – the customers share… [Read full story]
Volunteers deliver paper bags to residents in Ha Noi. The debate about whether or not to tax plastic bags has yet to be settled. — VNA/VNS Photo Hoang LamHCM CITY — With just a few months to go before the Law on Environmental Tax takes effect on January 1, the debate about whether or not to tax plastic bags has yet to be settled. The new law makes plastic bags among the seven most heavily taxed items - 15-17 per cent, meaning VND30,000-50,000 per kilogramme - in an effort to stop the use of the environmentally unfriendly product which is…... [read more]
Mali and Mauritania became the latest African countries to ban plastic bags this week in what appears to be an increasingly popular environmental gesture. Could we soon see an end to plastic bags, and if so, what will replace them? The production and use of plastic bags became a criminal offence in both Mauritania and Mali on Monday, making Africa the leading continent in the global crackdown on plastic bags. Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa and Kenya have already banned ultra-thin plastic bags, while Rwanda and Somalia have banned them completely. In a celebratory statement welcoming the news, Mali's environment ministry…... [read more]
Talk Around Town (14-09-2008) Loosing it on litter bugs and plastic bags by Thao Phuong - Khanh Van With clear skin and a glossy modern haircut, the beautiful girl passing my house represents a class of young people who are well-educated with well-paying jobs. She represents our hope for the future. As I stood outside, kick-starting my motorbike, she passed me and stopped at the foot of a tree in front of my house. Her white and slender hands held two plastic bags filled with rubbish, which had collected over the day at an office full of young and graceful…... [read more]
Ho Chi Minh City's Department of Natural Resources and Environment proposed a plan to the City People's Committee to reduce plastic bag use in the city. The plan focuses on supermarkets and shops, which provide most plastic bags. To implement the plan, the department also proposed to set up a group to oversee and lobby supermarkets, and set up places to collect plastic bags for recycling. The department encourages companies to use other materials that can replace plastic, protect the environment and promote recycling. The department will support companies that produce bags with loan capital from a fund for environmental…... [read more]
Hoi An says no to plastic bags Nguyen Su Avoiding the use of plastic bags has become an everyday habit deeply ingrained in the awareness of the environmentally friendly residents of Hoi An. Nguyen Su, secretary of the Hoi An City Party Committee, is the person who came up with the revolutionary idea of “Hoi An says no to plastic bags”. He brought this idea to life with his eco-spirit, dedication and determination. Can you tell us where the idea to ‘say no to plastic bags’ came from? - I remember walking down the Cua Dai beach and I was…... [read more]
