Talking Trash (& Fashion) in China

When John Peterson invented the plastic grocery bag in 1979, little did he realize the dire effects his brainchild would have on the world. An estimated 1.2 trillion of the nasty little eco-timebombs are now produced annually, each taking a mere 1,000 years to break down into their toxic components. An estimated one million seabirds are killed by plastic each year, plus 100,000 seals, sea lions, whales and dolphins.

Nobody in their right mind could describe China as an environmental role model, but last month the Chinese government did something that shows red is slowly but surely embracing green - it banned plastic bags (from June). Anyone who has traveled around rural China and despaired at the site of trash-filled rivers and Tibetan prayer flags festooned with gaudy plastic will surely be delighted.

While banning the bag in China might seem like an obvious move to some, the Chinese government should be commended, and a few Western countries could do with taking note. If the new legislation is effective the advantages could be enormous - Chinese people currently use up to 3 billion plastic bags a day, and the country has to refine 37 million barrels of crude oil every year to make the plastics used for packaging.

A few forward-thinking Beijing shops already seem to be heeding the environmental call. Expat hangout Jenny Lou’s recently introduced re-usable eco-bags for a trifling RMB 2 (US$0.3) (featuring a clever bit of advertising by Scandinavian Airlines) - these are quickly becoming de rigueur for the Beijing foreigner looking to make a statement about his/her eco-credentials.

Of course, it won’t all be plain sailing in the war on plastic. Many Chinese supermarkets seem to assume all their customers are thieves, with shoppers forced to leave their own bags in lockers by the entrance to prevent pesky pilfering. Come June, it’ll be interesting to see whether Beijingers are permitted to start using their own bags, or are made to buy the branded eco-bags that will surely replace their plastic counterparts.

For some Beijing residents, less plastic may also mean less income. According to the World Bank, China’s legions of scrap collectors numbered around 2.5 million in 2005. In Beijing, an industrious scrap collector can earn around RMB 1000 (US$ 140) per month, about half of what a Beijing cabbie brings in, although the environmental clampdown may make plastic bottles an even more precious commodity. Let’s hope there’s still enough garbage to keep those ridiculously overloaded tricycles ploughing the sidestreets.

The likelihood is that we won’t have to worry unduly about the prospects for Beijing’s trusty recyclers. China’s annual garbage production is projected to reach a colossal 400 million tons by 2020, and with other countries generously sending over their waste too, there’s every chance there’ll be plenty of trash to go round. Let’s hope it can be dealt with in an efficient and responsible way, and banning plastic bags is a great start.

Eco-bags are also starting to bridge the divide between environmental awareness and fashion in China. Quoted in the China Daily recently, Nels Frye of Stylites, who CScout interviewed recently, comments, “Many young people in China are aware of the environment and want to do what they can to protect it, especially when it’s fashionable to do so.”

China’s fashionistas are starting to tune into a wider movement of eco-fashion that has been gathering momentum outside of activist circles since its debut at New York’s Fashion Week in 2005. At a runway event sponsored by prominent retailer Barneys, a raft of hip designers showcased pieces made from organic and natural fibers, such as hemp, recycled plastic and bamboo. As the bag ban approaches, expect to see more eco-bags on the arms of China’s urban hip and green crowd.

More on eco-bags

Images by Daniel Allen and Bennetton

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