The ban on using ’super thin’ plastic bags for free (<0.025 mm in thickness according the regulation) kicks in today, June 1st 2008. ChinesePod will have an upcoming media lesson about the very topic.

There has been a long build up to this bold and revolutionary change. In China, even the smallest purchases such as a bottle of water comes with a plastic bag. For too long, we’ve taken it as a given without any pondering of the evironmental consequences.

So what happens in this new chapter? Well, on the first day, thoughtful and frugal moms make sure they bring their own bags (many still plastic but it’s from their own reserve), baskets or a big travelling tote to the grocer. Their purchasing decision is heavily based on economical considerations. And this is where the policy of charging for plastic bags work the best. But then, there are the forgetful ones, me included, who are faced with a devil and angel at the check out counter. Do I pay a few cents for a plastic bag or 3 RMB for the linen tote? The answer seems easy, both economically and morally. But I had gazillion items which would require at least 5 totes. And I have a few of them at home. So I defaulted to the old habit, albeit feeling guilty, which I think is a major contribution of this policy, how it’s slowly altering people’s attitude.

Other shoppers presented a variety of solutions. Some came prepared, some like me, some bought linen bags at the supermarket as this clip shows.

The first thing I did when I got home was to put a linen tote in my bag, to prepare myself for the new deplasticised age. But as I was emptying the bags of purchase, I realised that I also need a garbage disposal alternative. No more used plastic bags to line the bin. Buy proper garbage bags instead. That’s why this new policy claims to solve the problem from the root and trickles down to minimise the peripheral use of pastic bags as well.

I think I’ll have a good story to tell in 50 years: amongst many of the ground shaking changes in my days is the demise of plastic bags.