Plastic bags replaced for shoppers in the district

Disposable plastic bags are no longer available at shopping malls and supermarkets in Jiading.

At the Auchan Supermarket on Bole Road, they have been replaced by non-woven shopping bags costing 1.6 to 2 yuan (2.5 to 3 US cents) each. VIPs who consume more than 100 yuan can enjoy free bags.

“We will also remind shoppers to bring environmental-friendly shopping bags with them when going for shopping,” said Chen Shudan, a worker at Auchan.

“It’s very convenient to bring a shopping bag with me, and it’s recyclable as well,” a customer surnamed Wang said.

The supermarket also provides a shopping bag rental service with a deposit of 5 yuan.

“We hope our clients can accept non-woven shopping bags as soon as possible to better protect the environment,” said Wu Jie, customer service manager at the supermarket.

Plastic bags for food and straws and eating utensils in pre-packaged products are included in the ban which came into force on January 1.

The city’s latest regulations on plastics are stricter than the national rules which allow the use of degradable plastic bags for a number of years.

It is estimated that the practice will cut the use of more than 7,000 tons of non-degradable plastics per year at restaurants nationwide from next year.

Local regulations also stated that the production and sale of disposable tableware made of polyfoam and plastic cotton swabs will be halted this year. Chemical products with microbeads will be banned.

By the end of next year, starred hotels in the city should stop providing disposable plastic products, such as toothbrushes and combs, and all local hotels should ban these by the end of 2023.

The postal and delivery service will get rid of non-degradable plastic bags and tape over the next few years.