China ban saves 40 million plastic bags

China's ban on free plastic bag distribution by retailers has pushed usage down by an average of 66 per cent over a 12-month period, according to the China Chain Store & Franchise Association.

The ban, imposed in 2008, has saved the use of an estimated 40 million plastic bags that would have taken 1.6 million tons of oil to produce, according to a survey by the group.

Prior to the ban, an estimated three billion plastic bags were given out daily, with supermarket freebies accounting for one-third of the total. Shops and restaurants distributed the remainder.

The bags generated three million tons of waste annually and their production used a large proportion of the five million tons - or 37 million barrels - of crude oil that was refined annually for plastic packaging. About 1,300 tons were used daily to produce shopping bags for supermarkets alone.

However, one unanticipated outcome of the ban has been an increase in the demand for rubbish bags. The government has now fast-tracked new standards for the bags, including degradable ones.

The closure of China's largest plastic bag-maker has also been blamed on the ban. Suiping Huaqiang Plastic closed in February 2008 - one month after the measure was announced.