China plastic bag ban 'has saved 1.6m tonnes of oil'

Banning flimsy plastic bags has been dismissed as a drop in the ocean when it comes to dealing with the world’s environment problems, but multiplied on a China scale, it appears to have made a big difference.

A new report suggests restrictions on bag usage in the world’s most populous nation have saved the equivalent of 1.6 million tonnes of oil, in the year since it was introduced.

Just ahead of the first anniversary of the ban, the China Chain Store and Franchise Association estimated it had saved the country 40 billion plastic bags.
Guardian