China's ban on free plastic bags in shopping malls must be expanded to the courier and takeout food industries if it is to be truly effective, Southcn.com argues in an editorial. It's been 10 years since the Chinese authorities started forcing some businesses to charge for plastic bags as a way to control plastic waste.
The authorities should regulate all plastic materials, including their sales and production, the site argues. In recent years the growth in alternatives to brick and mortar businesses has seen many consumers circumvent the ban. The express and takeout industries use a huge amount of plastic to package and transport things, and people often turn a blind eye to the situation.
A 2017 report on new plastics published by the World Economic Forum found that less than one-in-ten plastic packages around the world are recycled efficiently, and around 30 percent of plastics wind up incinerated or in landfill.
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