2008/1/10
中国、6月1日からレジ袋を有料化
詳報
国務院弁公庁はこのほど、各省・自治区・直轄市の人民政府、国務院の各部・委員会、直属の各機関に向けて、「ポリエチレン製のレジ袋の生産・販売・使用の制限に関する通知」を出した。
通知によると、レジ袋が「白色汚染」（白いレジ袋のゴミによる汚染）の主要因になっていることを踏まえ、各地の人民政府や部門、委員会などは今後、極薄（0.025mm 以下）ポリエチレン製のレジ袋の生産・販売・使用を禁止するとともに、レジ袋の有料化制度を実施しなくてはならないとしている。
今年6月1日以降、スーパーマーケット、デパート、大型市場など商品を小売りするすべての場所でレジ袋を有料化し、無料での提供を一律禁止することになる。
商務部はレジ袋有料化についての詳細な規則を国家発展改革委員会（NDRC）と協議している。
中国でも、ウォルマートなどのスーパーでは昨年末からエコフレンドリーな布袋の使用を推奨している。
チベット自治区政府は9日、本年から有料であってもレジ袋を顧客に渡すのを禁止する規則を発表した。
チベット政府は使い捨てのプラスチック袋と発泡ポリスチレンの食器をやめ、再使用可能な布袋や紙袋に代えるキャンペーンを行う。
首都のラサ市では「白色汚染」防止のため、2004年にプラスチック袋の使用を禁止した。
なお、オーストラリアでも環境相が2008年末までにレジ袋税課税か、全面禁止かの決定を行なう意向を示した。昨年末に政権をとった労働党は2004年以来、レジ袋禁止の政策を主張している。
Tibet joins China crusade
against "white" pollution over plastic bags curb
The government of Tibet Autonomous Region in southwest China
announced on Wednesday that no plastic bags would be provided to
shoppers from this year, even if they are willing to pay.
The decision coincided with China's ban on production of
ultra-thin bags and decision to forbid retailers from handing out
free carrier bags from June 1, to protect the environment and
save energy.
Tibet will launch a campaign against disposable plastic bags and
foam dinnerware, with the message that reusable cloth bags and
recyclable paper bags are more environmentally friendly,
according to Zhang Yongze, chief of the Tibet Environmental
Protection Bureau.
"Although the campaign will be tough and last for a long
time, we will not give up," Zhang said.
Lhasa, capital of Tibet, banned the use of plastic bags in 2004
to keep the city free of "white" pollution.
BBC Mon AS1 AsPol ag
2008-01-09 Xinhua
Central gov't: China to limit use of plastic bags from June 1
The government will impose limits on the use of plastic bags
starting on June 1, as part of its dual campaign to protect the
environment and save energy.
In a circular posted on the central government's Web site
(www.gov.cn) on Tuesday(Jan. 8), the General Office of the State
Council ordered a ban on the production, sale and
use of ultra-thin bags (defined as less than 0.025 mm thick) as of June 1. Further,
supermarkets and shops will be banned from giving
free plastic bags to customers as of that date.
China thus joins many governments that have moved to limit the
manufacture, sale and use of plastic bags, according to the
circular.
"Our country consumes a large amount of plastic bags. While
convenient for consumers, the bags also lead to a severe waste of
resources and environmental pollution because of their excessive
use and low rate of recycling," said the circular. "The
ultra-thin bags are the main source of 'white' pollution as they
can easily get broken and end up as litter."
The campaign will encourage citizens to use fewer plastic bags.
Supermarkets and shops are told to offer clear price tags for
plastic bags and charge consumers separately for them.
The circular said the Ministry of Commerce is in discussion with
the country's top economic planner, the National Development and
Reform Commission, on detailed regulations on paid use of plastic
bag.
Meanwhile, ultra-thin plastic bags are banned in passenger
trains, vessels, buses, planes, stations, airports and scenic
spots. Relevant supervisors must make sure their underlings would
not offer such bags.
Environment protection departments are required to step up waste
recycling practice and strengthen monitoring of plastic bag
recycling. They should establish an "environment entry
threshold", pollution control standards and technical
criteria for collecting, delivering, storing and reproducing
plastic bags.
Science and technology departments must increase input to develop
technologies helpful of adding value into used plastic products.
Finance and tax authorities are urged to give tax a bigger role
in controlling production, sales and use of plastic bags and
support recycling and comprehensive utilization of used plastics.
Chinese consumers have been accustomed to carry what they buy
from shops with free plastic bags since shopkeepers began
offering the bags more than a decade ago.
"I think (the ban) will help improve the environment. When I
go shopping, I would prefer taking a fabric bag with me rather
than buying a plastic one from the shop," said Jing Ruihong,
a 46-year-old accountant in Beijing.
Dong Jinshi, vice chairman of the Waste Plastics Recycling
Committee of China Plastics Processing Industry Association
(WPRC-CPPIA) said the ban would cut use of plastics bags by more
than 60 percent and raise the recycling rate of one-time plastic
bags.
He also said the country should introduce substitutes for plastic
bags as soon as possible.
"It may be difficult for them to watch over farmers markets
and small chain stores," a female citizen surnamed Zhu said.
Large supermarkets such as Walmart has been advocating use of
eco-friendly cotton bags since late 2007. These bags are priced
at three yuan, significantly lower than their production cost
usually of around nine yuan, said Huang Li from Walmart's PR
department.
Huang said the sales of cotton bags are not "good"
because people inclined to use free plastic bags they offered
simultaneously. Nevertheless, she said the latest ban would
facilitate promotion of eco-friendly bags and Walmart would look
at the issue closely before deciding whether to offer other kinds
of substitute bags.
The overuse of plastic bags is always a major problem in China.
In Shenzhen, a booming city in south China's Guangdong Province,
retailers use at least 1.75 billion plastic bags each year. Most
of those bags would decompose only after 200 years and some would
never, said the local environmental protection department.
Ahead of the national directive, Shenzhen announced in November
it was considering placing fees on the use of plastic bags, with
fines from 5,000 to 50,000 yuan (667 to 6,667 U.S. dollars) for
retailers that gave them away for free.
However, experts said it might take time for consumers to be
adapted to the new rule as they had long taken it for granted as
a convenience retailers were supposed to offer.
Jan 09, 2008
Plastic bags join endangered list
Australian Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, is likely to
either impose a levy on plastic bags or ban them completely.
Garrett has indicated he intends to deal with the issue by the
end of 2008.
The banning of plastic bags has been Australian Labor Party policy since 2004.
Retailers including Woolworths and Coles remain opposed to such a measure. Australian Retailers Association executive director, Richard Evans, said a system of voluntary compliance would be the best option.
日本ポリエチレン株式会社の連結子会社化について
三菱ケミカルホールディングスは、当社のグループ会社である日本ポリケム（当社の完全子会社である三菱化学が１００％出資）が、三菱商事プラスチックの保有する日本ポリエチレン株式を２００８年３月４日付で取得することにより、ＪＰＥを当社の連結子会社とすることを決定いたしました。
ＪＰＥは、ＪＰＣ、日本ポリオレフィン、ＭＣＰの合弁会社（出資比率ＪＰＣ：５０％、ＪＰＯ：４２％、ＭＣＰ：８％）として２００３年９月に設立され、製品・技術のシナジー効果、最適生産体制の追求、販売・物流面での競争力強化等を通じ、国内最大のポリエチレンメーカーとして事業競争力強化を図ってまいりました。
日本ポリエチレン出資比率
日本ポリケム：５０％→５８％
日本ポリオレフィン：４２％→４２％
三菱商事プラスチック： ８％→ ０％
2008/4/10 三井化学
エチレン・αオレフィンオリゴマー（商標「ルーカント（Ｒ）」）の生産能力増強と営業運転開始について
＜増設内容＞
１．製 品：エチレン・αオレフィンオリゴマー
２．商 標：ルーカント（Ｒ）
３．立 地：三井化学 岩国大竹工場内
４．増強後の生産能力：１１，０００ｔ／年 （既存プラントの生産能力は５，０００ｔ／年）
５．営業運転開始日：２００８年２月１日
ルーカントは無色透明・粘稠（ねんちゅう）な液体で、主に自動車の潤滑油の配合剤として当社が独自に開発・上市し市場を創出してきた、ユニークな戦略商品です。
植物由来ポリエチレン販売における業務提携
豊
田通商株式会社と、南米最大の化学メーカーBraskem
S.A.（本社：ブラジル国バイア州カマサリ市、最高経営責任者：Bernardo
Gradin、以下「ブラスケン」）は、ブラスケンが2011年までに、世界で初めて商業生産を開始する植物由来ポリエチレンに関し、日本を含むアジア地
区の販売パートナーとしての業務提携を行うことに合意いたしました。
ブラスケンは、同社トリウンフォ工場（所在地：ブラジル国南リ
オグランデ州トリウンフォ市）において、穀物ではないサトウキビから作られるエタノールを原料として、高密度ポリエチレン（HDPE）及び低密度ポリエチ
レン（LDPE）をあわせて年間20万トン生産することを予定しております。