Western media had their Pavlov moment again when China's state council announced that plastic shopping bags would be banned by June 1. It was yet again an ideal subject to reduce the complicated realities in China to a simple story.
First, it reduces the often difficult environmental problems in China to a simple bag. Of course, the absurd quantities of plastic bags handed out at supermarkets are part of that problem, but a very limited part that lead to token journalism: you take one element and suggest that real things are being done.
Second, it suggests that the ban is going to succeed. Now, the state council is the highest administrative body in China, but what its strong point is might also be its weak point in enforcing the bag ban in June. Executing has to be done down the hierarchic chains of command, and mostly this kind of priority might be so diluted we do not see any change at the level of the supermarkets.
It is too early to write off the bag ban as useless, but the "obvious" assumption of the Western media the ban will make a difference might be rather baseless.
1 comment:
I am not too sure what this has to do with the west. Many countries in the west are already banning, or encouraged shoppers to buy 'permanet' shopping bags. There are even movement to reduce unnecessary 'packaging' that we see so often with many products ... small packets inside bigger box! Like a Christmas present.
I see that as good sign. As a good Dutch citizen, I always carry my own shopping bags. And I would use them until they are full of holes and fall apart before I discard any of my shopping bags. I seldom throw away any plastic bag BEFORE I re-use it at least once.
I am a volunteer at a local second-hand shop (we collect donations of any used goods, re-sell and use the money for charity), and we re-use ALL kinds of plastic bags to wrap purchases for our customers. NOBODY complains and generally, our customers would bring the bags back to us again for re-use.
The problem with this world is, it is all about money making. The more we use the products, the more the producers are making money. So, making something durable is not profitable for them. Disposable plastic bags (or other items) is. And that is the reason why it becomes an epidemic of things disposable. (I suppose Americans is to be blamed for creating the 'disposable' culture).
There are only ONE thing I see as a problem: What would the POOR who collects plastic bags, and resell, are going to do? What is the government, in China, going to do for them to make sure they have food for their stomaches?
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