Beijing is considering imposing fines on businesses that provide disposable cutlery and toiletries to consumers by default, according to a draft regulation released Monday.
The regulation, which will likely be incorporated into the capital’s existing rules on waste management, proposes a fine from 1,000 yuan to 5,000 yuan ($140 to $700) for restaurants, food delivery companies, and hotels that continue to provide disposable cutlery or single-use toiletries when consumers have not explicitly requested them.
Beijing will finish rolling out a citywide trash-sorting policy by 2020, following in the footsteps of Shanghai, where a similar plan went into effect July 1. The capital classifies its trash into four categories — food waste, general waste, recyclables, and hazardous materials — and individual violators would be subject to fines of 200 yuan. (Image: VCG)