Bag of tricks
Liu Ying may be nearly 80 years old, but she is well ahead of the times when it comes to caring for the environment. Long before the Government announced its coming ban on plastic shopping bags, the savvy senior launched her own one-woman campaign against the landfill hazard they represent.
On any given day, 79-year-old Liu (pictured) can be found standing at the gates of her Fengtai district community, handing out roomy cloth bags to those strolling out of the courtyards, bound for their daily shopping. Over the past 15 years, Liu has handmade and embroidered nearly 4,000 of these reusable bags.
Her mission recently received added validation, with China ordering a ban in late 2007 on the production, sale and use of ultra-thin plastic shopping bags, to take effect on June 1.
