With a declaration of war on "white pollution" choking its cities, farms and waterways, China has become the latest nation to target plastic bags in a bid to cut waste and conserve resources, AP journalist Christopher Bodeen reported on Wednesday.

The story attributed the measure that takes effect on June 1 to environmental protection efforts for the Olympic Games.

"Internationally, legislation to discourage plastic bag use has been passed in parts of South Africa and Ireland, where authorities either tax shoppers who use them or impose fees on companies that distribute them. Bangladesh already bans them, as do at least 30 remote Alaskan villages."

San Francisco became the first US city to ban petroleum-based plastic bags in large grocery stores last year.

Supermarket chains have begun shying away from giving away plastic bags in France. In Germany, stores must pay a recycling fee if they wish to offer them. Ireland's surcharge on bags imposed in 2003 has been credited with sharply reducing demand.

"The regulation comes as Beijing steps up efforts to fight pollution that has accompanied China's breakneck economic growth," the story said, criticizing some factories and plants in China that have severely polluted the country's air and water.

Jennifer Turner, director of the China Environment Forum at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, said China's solid waste is at "a crisis level", but praised China's new efforts.

"Their landfills are reaching capacity and will be full in 13 years," she said, adding that a ban like this could be a significant way to educate the public about China's environmental issues.

China's move won praise from environmental organizations including Greenpeace, which issued a statement welcoming the ban.

"The State Council's announcement to ban free plastic bags is a perfect case to combine the two of the major forces in environment protection: public participation and government policy guidance," Greenpeace said.

The story also attached importance to the plastic bag problem in the US, saying the country with less than one-quarter of China's 1.3 billion people throws out almost 100 billion plastic bags each year.

"If every one of New York City's 8 million people used one less grocery bag per year, it would reduce waste by about 5 million pounds."

Christopher Slavin, president of Worldwatch Institute, an independent research organization in Washington, said: "China is ahead of the US with this policy.

"They have had problems enforcing programs in the past, but this is easy to enforce because it has to be implemented at the retail level.

"It won't be 100 percent on the first day, but in general, if you come back a year from now you will find this will be enforced and in place.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/09/asia/plastic.php

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-01/09/content_6379872.htm