Plastic bag limits save China 3 mln tonnes of oil per year

China's limits on the use of plastic bags cut crude oil consumption by 3 million tonnes per year, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

Since June 1, 2008, all Chinese retailers, including supermarkets, department stores and groceries, no longer provided free plastic shopping bags. In addition, China banned ultra-thin plastic bags, or those thinner than 0.025 mm.

China is trying to cut the use of plastic bags in a bid to reduce energy consumption and polluting emissions.

The plastic bag limits could save about 2.4 million to 3.0 million tonnes of crude oil every year and cut 7.6 million to 9.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year, the NDRC said.

<snip> http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/6743049.html

nt

perhaps they are referring to their manufacture and not the bags themselves?

me thinking.

And ethylene is made from crude oil.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethylene