Changchun City, the capital of northeast China's Jilin Province, is to curb "white pollution" by adopting regulations to control the production and use of non-degradable plastic goods.
The document, entitled "Administrative Methods of Controlling Environmental Pollution by Plastic Goods", is the first such local regulation in the industrial city.
The regulations state factories manufacturing kitchen ware, waste bags and plastic for farm use must use degradable plastic, and must get special licenses from the local environmental and quality control authorities.
All plastic goods must be labeled "Degradable" or "Non-Degradable". It is forbidden to produce plastic bag, or plastic film, for farm use or kitchen ware which is thinner than 0.025 mm. And such plastic goods may not be sold or used in public places in the city.
Local catering suppliers must use degradable food containers while facilities are set up to collect the used ones.
Businesses found to be violating the regulations will be closed by local authorities.
(Xinhua News Agency December 14, 2001)
