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Hotels told to phase out disposable plastic items

Star-rated guesthouses and hotels across China should no longer voluntarily offer disposable plastic items by the end of 2022, according to a notice published by the Ministry of Commerce on Aug 31 about strengthening control of plastic pollution by businesses.

The restriction will be applied to all the country's guesthouses, hotels and homestay inns by the end of 2025, the notice said.

By the end of this year, the use of disposable nondegradable plastic straws will be forbidden in the catering industry nationwide and disposable nondegradable plastic tableware will not be allowed to be used for dine-in catering services in urban built-up areas at the prefecture level and above.

Noting that the continuously increasing consumption of plastic products, particularly disposable ones, has brought new challenges to efforts to curb environmental pollution, the ministry told local authorities to earnestly implement specific restrictions on plastic use in key areas including shopping malls, supermarkets, restaurants, hotels and e-commerce.