Shopping bag Europe and the United States are moving to free again Again at 1:38 on July 1 as a countermeasure against new corona infection
In Europe and the United States, efforts to charge a plastic shopping bag began before Japan, but the use of the same bag increases the risk of infection with the new coronavirus.
In 2016, California in the western United States banned the provision of plastic shopping bags at retail stores and the earliest in the United States in 2016, selling reusable bags and paper bags for 10 cents, a Japanese yen for more than 10 yen Was introduced.
However, due to the spread of infection in the state, the risk of salesclerks becoming infected when customers bring in bags that can be reused by customers, etc.
In San Francisco, the state also issued an administrative order prohibiting customers from bringing reusable bags and mugs into the store.
From April this year, the eastern Maine state was banned from providing plastic shopping bags, and a law to sell reusable bags and paper bags for more than 5 cents and for JPY 5 or more in Japanese yen was planned to be enforced, but after all It will be postponed until January next year due to the risk of infection.
Also, in England in England, in order to reduce garbage, we have been selling plastic bags for 5 pence per bag and Japanese yen for more than 6 yen since 2015, but the number of people who use the internet supermarket has increased due to the spread of infection. Therefore, we decided to provide the shopping bag temporarily free of charge so that the delivery work would not be delayed.
British environmental group "retrogression is a shame"
With the spread of the new coronavirus infection, there is a movement against the environmental measures such as the postponement of the charge for plastic shopping bags, says Sian Sutherland, co-founder of the British environmental group, It's a shame that the idea of a reduction in the use of plastics has taken root, but it's a shame that usage is rising again as a result of infection control. I can't understand canceling policies that reduce the use of plastics." It was.
"The plastics and petroleum industry groups have taken advantage of this to stimulate lobbying activities. As the price of petroleum has become cheaper, we are also making new investments to mass-produce plastics," he said. Did.
He added, "We're back from the fear of the virus and the panic, but we need to wake up quickly. Plastic production has grown dramatically, and that's another big problem in the future. You have to be aware that you will be connected," he said, and the policy should be decided with due regard to future environmental impact.