Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
•Thereisatechnologystandardthat
stipulates a 'recyclable-friendly' ink is
to be used for the marking and printing
of plastic bags and whose quantity, on
a dry basis, should not exceed 2.25%
of the weight of the bag. The regulation
applies to plastic bags given to a
shopper at the point of sale (secondary
packaging) and thus, excludes bags
used for primary packaging of loose
goods, e.g., rice, lour and so on
Somaliland
•Plasticbagpollution
is so prevalent that the
bags have been labeled
the Hargeysa lowers
because plastic bags
luttering from trees
and shrubs are common
sights. According to
government oficials,
plastic bags have
become both an
eyesore and a source of
environmental problems
in this country. Of
special concern to the
country is their adverse
effect on livestock,
especially on those that
feed on shrubs, and
clogging of storm and
sewage drains especially
by those bags that are
used by traders
•Ban:Abanentitled'Banning
importation, production and use
of plastic bags in the country' was
imposed on 1
st
March 2005
•Awarenesscampaign:Thebanwas
supposed to be backed by an awareness
campaign as an additional instrument
but this never happened
•Someassessmentsindicate
that both importation and
local production of the bags
still continue regardless of
the ban. Because of a lack of
alternatives, the government
acknowledges continuing the
local production of plastic bags
Taiwan
•Bytheyear2000,
Taiwanese consumers
were using an
estimated 105,000
tons of plastic bags per
year at the rate of 2.5
bags per person each
and every day. Taiwan
used 16 million
shopping bags a day
before the government
began restricting their
use in 2001 [41]
•Intheyear2002theTaiwanese
government announced legislation
that banned the free distribution of
disposable plastic bags and tableware
throughout Taiwan. The irst stage
of this plan started in July 2002 and
focused on the distribution of plastics
by government facilities, including
state-owned companies, military
bases, schools, public hospitals, and
government run stores and restaurants.
The second stage, which commenced
in January 2003, applied to plastics
distribution by supermarkets,
department stores, fast food chains,
restaurants, and convenience stores [41]
•A2007reportbythe
Environmental Production
Administration (EPA) of Taiwan
showed that by May 2003
(compared to usage in March
2002), the number of people
using their own bags when
shopping, had increased by
over 60%. The EPA calculates
that this amounts to an 80%
reduction in the number of plastic
shopping bags being used. The
amount of plastic tableware
in use is also reported to have
dropped by 96%. In 2006, 72%
of people regularly carried used
plastic bags when they went
shopping, compared with 18% in
2001 before the bag charge
