Getting a handle on the plastic bag problem

Georgina Smith, The Guardian 23 Feb 08;

The campaign against plastic bags has been gathering steam in the UK, while China recently announced that it would ban the use of some bags and force consumers to pay for others. But how are other countries tackling the problem? Georgina Smith reports

There is an old Chinese expression: if you want to correct something that others do, you should first correct it yourself. It's an expression the Chinese government can claim it is following in its efforts to tackle one of the country's most significant litter problems: the plastic bag.

The issue of flimsy plastic bags may seem trivial on the list of environmental challenges facing one of the world's emerging superpowers, but its ramifications are more than aesthetic. Discarded plastic bags disrupt waterways, clog sewers, and choke soil.

So, as one of its new year's resolutions, China has pledged to put a stop to its 3bn-a-day habit, and ban the use of free and flimsy plastic bags by introducing levies. As of June this year, plastic bags must be paid for, and they will be banned from all public transport, airports and scenic places.

Plastic is fantastic. It's versatile, durable, waterproof, convenient and very, very cheap. But with all benefits of plastic bags come a long list of nagging problems, and the most problematic of all is their sheer persistence.

Depending on the thickness, plastic bags take between 20 and 1,000 years to break down in the environment. They release toxic gases when they burn; they create stagnant pools which can become a breeding ground for malarial mosquitoes; and they suffocate or disrupt the indigestion of animals that accidentally consume them.

So, how easy is it to regulate a blanket ban on something so integral - yet so destructive - to modern living? And does it work? In Europe, good waste management has meant that the menace of the plastic bag has not been unleashed as it has in the developing world. China's situation is perhaps better reflected by experiences on the continent of Africa.

In South Africa, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), a ban is already working. Before action was taken to curb the problem, consumers in South Africa got through 8bn plastic bags a year. The problem was so bad that plastic bags became known as the "new national flower", competing with the protea - the true national flower - for the limelight.

South Africa's answer was to ban the manufacture, trade and commercial distribution of plastic bags with a thickness of less than 30 microns (0.03mm). Anything below 30 microns can blow away in even a light wind, and cannot be easily recycled. Increasing the thickness of plastic bags has been found to have a positive impact on littering.

A levy is in place, and the penalties for non-compliance are tough: fines and even imprisonment.

Before regulation in South Africa, the cost of producing, delivering and distributing plastic bags was hidden in food prices, so even if customers did not want a bag, they would pay for it. Now they can make the choice - and UNEP reports that consumers have benefited from lower food prices as a result.

But bans have not been so successful everywhere. In Bangladesh, serious and repeated flooding, which resulted in major loss of life, was reportedly linked to drain blockages caused by plastic bags. The floods prompted the government to impose a ban on the sale and use of polythene bags in the capital city, Dhaka, in 2002. But no results are available on its success, suggesting there has been little evidence of a positive outcome on the streets.

In Kenya, roughly 82% of plastic bags used each year end up on the streets or in the sewage system. No outright ban has been considered, and even levies have been opposed by those who say it will kill an industry that supports thousands of people.

In Somaliland, regardless of a ban prohibiting the importation, production and use of plastic bags since March 2005, a UNEP report suggests that both importation and local production continue.

Yet even when there are alternatives such as paper bags or boxes available, consumers continue to opt for the plastic bag. It seems that we are addicted. It remains to be seen whether China can kick the habit, or find a truly fantastic - and biodegradable – plastic bag.