No free plastic bags

From tomorrow on, we will witness a major change in the shopping experience across China.

The production, sale and use of plastic shopping bags 0.025 millimeters thick or thinner will be banned, and retailers will be prohibited from providing customers with free plastic bags, under a State Council decree released in January.

Many are doubtful about the fate of such a ban - because people are so accustomed to receiving free plastic bags to pack their purchases at check-out counters. Complaints about inconvenience and additional cost have caused some to presume the ban will be aborted or at least not enforced.