China plans to ban single-use plastics

China has announced major plans to cut back on the sale and production of single-use plastics.

China, which is world’s No. 1 producer of plastic pollution, on Sunday announced that single use plastic would be banned in major cities by the end of 2020 and in smaller cities and towns by 2022.

The country has taken this decision as per the plans put forward by the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

The commission said it was enacting the changes in order to protect public health and “to build a beautiful China,” CNN reported.

The plan targets a variety of plastic types and industries over the next five years, BBC News reported.

Other measures include:

• A ban on the production and sale of plastic bags less than 0.025 millimeters thick
• A ban on single-use straws in restaurants by the end of 2020
• A mandate that restaurants reduce the use of plastic items by 30 percent
• A mandate that hotels not give out free plastic items after 2025