Restaurants, bookstores and clothing shops have been included in the ban on free plastic shopping bags, officials revealed Friday.

The Ministry of Commerce and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce added them to rules banning supermarkets, department stores and grocery stores from giving away flimsy bags.

But some restaurateurs were skeptical about the practical details. "We will strictly obey the new regulation, but I think it's a little odd in the food and beverage industry," said Duan Fugen, Secretary of Shanghai Restaurant Association.

He said restaurants should give diners free napkins, chopsticks and takeaway containers. Now they would have to charge 0.1 yuan (1.5 US cents) for a bag to take away leftovers.

Diners said the extra charge would discourage them from packing up surplus food. Office worker Sherry Chen said: "I'd probably stop taking food home because I don't want to pay more for a bag."

Dong Jinshi, vice secretary of Beijing Society for Environmental Science, said: "Many restaurants ignored the rules and continued providing plastic bags for diners.

"Now the regulations clearly state that the rules apply to restaurants, bookstores, construction-material shops and clothing shops."

The new rules also say that plastic bags used to pack pork, seafood, fruit and vegetables should not have handles and be of sufficient quality for food packaging.

Retailers must buy quality plastic bags from registered manufacturers and keep related documents and accounts.

Under the rules, plastic bags that fail to reach national standards on thickness and strength will be banned from sale from this October.

 (Shanghai Daily July 12, 2008)