‘Great!’ The plastic ban is coming, and the environment around us will be fresher and more beautiful! Xu Han, a volunteer of the Ningbo Charity Federation who learned the news of Zhejiang’s “plastic ban order”, said happily.
In mid-September, nine departments, including the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, the Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment, and the Provincial Department of Economy and Information Technology, jointly issued the Implementation Measures on Further Strengthening the Control of Plastic Pollution (hereinafter referred to as the “Measures”), requiring prohibition and restriction of the production, sale and use of some plastic products. On the morning of October 12, the Information Office of the Provincial Government held a press conference and invited relevant responsible persons of the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, the Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment, the Provincial Department of Commerce, the Provincial Market Supervision Bureau, and the Provincial Postal Administration to introduce the relevant implementation of the Measures. So what about Ningbo? What’s next?
From “paid use” to “prohibited use”
Degradable plastic bags, Ningbo supermarket performs better
The upgrade of the “plastic restriction order” to the “plastic ban order” will undoubtedly have an impact on our lives, so what is the current situation in Ningbo?
In fact, as early as the beginning of 2009, Ningbo has begun to promote the “plastic restriction order” and gradually popularize degradable plastic bags, and the current promotion implementation of large and medium-sized supermarkets is relatively good.
“We use biodegradable plastic bags in supermarkets, which have been implemented for many years.” The relevant person in charge of Ningbo Sanjiang said that since 2009, Sanjiang has responded to the government’s call to promote degradable plastic bags and use them for a fee. Compared with the original free plastic bags, the biggest change in paid plastic bags is the printing of barcodes and the increase in thickness. In addition, in addition to the recycling logo, some safety reminders are printed on the plastic bag.
“We have been informed of the relevant notifications from the province.” The relevant person in charge of the Municipal Bureau of Commerce said that it will be implemented in accordance with the requirements of the province. However, he also admitted that small plastic bags are related to all aspects and involve different functional departments, and it will take a lot of effort to strictly implement them.
According to him, at present, Ningbo’s supermarket industry, a certain scale of supermarkets generally use degradable plastic bags, the overall situation is good, as for department stores, also promote paper bags, plastic bags as a supplement. Plastic bags used in shopping malls are partly degradable and non-degradable.
The enforcement of the “plastic restriction order” in wet markets needs to be strengthened
Relatively speaking, wet markets, small shops, etc. have a poor implementation of plastic restriction orders, and non-degradable garbage bags account for a relatively high proportion.
Mr. Zhang, a citizen, said that every time he went to buy vegetables at the vegetable market near his home, he would bring back a large number of plastic bags of various kinds, containing seafood in large bags with thick skin, often two or three sets together, and vegetables were large blue plastic bags.
It is understood that in some vegetable markets, wholesale markets and small grocery stores in Yongcheng, the current promotion and implementation of the plastic restriction order is not ideal, and the fully upgraded “plastic ban order” is expected to change the current uneven market situation.
Tourist hotels promote recyclable consumables
As for the requirements in the “Measures”, hotels and hotels will no longer take the initiative to provide disposable plastic products. It is understood that more than 200 tourist hotels in Ningbo issued a joint initiative in mid-September this year, taking the opportunity of comprehensively restricting the use of disposable consumer goods, using recyclable consumables, etc., to promote waste reduction from the source, while giving priority to the purchase of energy-saving, water-saving, recyclable and resource-based hotel supplies.
At present, the major tourist hotels in Ningbo make statistics on the reduction of the use of disposable items every month, and make account records for reference, contributing to the city’s comprehensive promotion of green environmental protection development. According to the latest statistics from Ningbo Hotel Industry Association, the city’s tourist hotels have a total of more than 20,000 rooms, nearly 15,000 rooms for rent every day, with the overall enhancement of domestic environmental awareness and the continuous improvement of regulatory requirements, the city currently saves more than 200,000 yuan of disposable items every day.
Zhejiang’s new implementation plan to strengthen plastic pollution control has three more words: “further”. In the plan, the use of plastic bags in shopping malls, supermarkets and other places has also changed from “paid use” to “prohibited use”.
The Measures require that by the end of 2020, shopping malls, supermarkets, pharmacies, bookstores and other places in built-up areas of Hangzhou, Ningbo and Shaoxing will prohibit the use of non-degradable plastic bags, as well as catering packaging takeaway services and various exhibition activities, and market regulations and restrictions on the use of non-degradable plastic bags.
By the end of 2022, the scope of implementation will be built-up areas above the county seat in the province. By the end of 2023, the use of non-degradable plastic bags will be banned in bazaars in the above regions. By the end of 2025, the scope of implementation will cover urban-rural junctions, township and rural markets.
The second is disposable plastic tableware, such as plastic straws, knives, forks, foamed plastic boxes, etc.
By the end of this year, the province-wide catering industry will ban the use of non-degradable disposable plastic straws, and the use of non-degradable disposable plastic tableware will be prohibited in the service of restaurants and canteens in built-up areas and scenic spots above the county seat.
By the end of 2023, the use of non-degradable disposable plastic tableware will be banned in the catering take-out field in built-up areas above the county seat in the province. By the end of 2025, the scope of implementation will cover the catering takeaway field in urban-rural junctions, townships and rural areas.
Once again, hotels, hotels, no longer take the initiative to provide single-use plastic products.
By the end of this year, the province’s star-rated hotels and hotels will not actively provide disposable plastic products, and gradually extend to other hotels, hotels and homestays.
By the end of 2022, star-rated hotels, hotels and other places in the province will no longer actively provide disposable plastic products, and can provide relevant services by setting up self-service purchase machines and providing refillable detergents.
By the end of 2023, the scope of implementation will be expanded to all guesthouses, hotels and homestays in the province.
Finally, express plastic packaging. By the end of August, the province’s express delivery business volume reached 10 billion, accounting for 20.96% of the country.
At the end of this year, Zhejiang will pilot the reduction of non-degradable plastic packaging bags, plastic tapes and disposable plastic woven bags in Jiaxing express delivery outlets, and by the end of 2022, these measures will be extended to the whole province. By the end of 2023, postal express outlets in the province will ban the use of non-degradable plastic tape.
The Measures state that alternative products will be promoted. For example, in shopping malls, supermarkets, farmers’ markets, pharmacies, bookstores and other places, promote the use of environmentally friendly cloth bags, paper bags, vegetable baskets and other non-plastic products and degradable shopping bags, and encourage the installation of self-service and intelligent delivery devices to facilitate people’s lives. Promote the use of biodegradable packaging films (bags) for fresh products. Establish a centralized purchase and sales system for shopping bags in the market.
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(Contributed by Ningbo Municipal Commission of Commerce)