The "plastic bag ban" issued by the State Council calls on the whole of China to stop producing, selling and using ultra-thin plastic shopping bags after 1 June 2008. Supermarkets, shopping centres, commodities markets and other retail venues won't be allowed to give away free plastic bags and shoppers will have to pay for plastic bags if they don't have their own.

While plastic shopping bags are conceived as consumable items, they're also increasingly seen as a source of pollution on the Mainland. The excessive use and improper disposal of these bags have resulted in a waste of resources and environmental damage, authorities conclude.

Yet, there's no denying that supermarkets, shopping centres, commodities markets and other retail venues rely heavily on plastic shopping bags. A medium-sized supermarket uses tens of thousands of these bags each day on fruit and vegetables alone.

In compliance with the government's "plastic bag ban", some supermarkets have started cutting down on plastic bag consumption and promoting the use of eco-friendly bags.

Ultra-thin bags to be banned.

Prompted by publicity and guidance, some businesses have already started to take advantage of the ban. Many shopping centres are offering eco-friendly shopping bags as gifts with purchases.

It turns out that consumers love these eco bags - and stores have improved their reputation while promoting sales.

Some manufacturers are taking the opportunity to market "handy" shopping bags that are durable, foldable and easy-to-clean. These bags come in various sizes and colours, and also have novel and unique designs. Most are made of non-woven fabrics, paper and new biodegradable materials.

Furthermore, consumers are willing to use environment-friendly shopping bags that can reflect their age, status and taste.

These small shopping bags could constitute a huge potential market. Hong Kong enterprises that have a leading edge in innovative design and marketing in the packaging industry could be looking at plenty of opportunities.

from Liu Qun, Beijing Office

(Images courtesy of Xinhua News Agency)