BEIJING, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- China's limits on the use of plastic bags cut crude oil consumption by 3 million tonnes per year, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

    Since June 1, 2008, all Chinese retailers, including supermarkets, department stores and groceries, no longer provided free plastic shopping bags. In addition, China banned ultra-thin plastic bags, or those thinner than 0.025 mm.

    China is trying to cut the use of plastic bags in a bid to reduce energy consumption and polluting emissions.

    The plastic bag limits could save about 2.4 million to 3.0 million tonnes of crude oil every year and cut 7.6 million to 9.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year, the NDRC said.

    The NDRC said it would further implement the regulations and inspect execution of the ban nationwide.

    Retailers who did not list shopping bags on the receipts or continued to provide free plastic shopping bags would be fined from 5,000 yuan (732.06 U.S. dollars) to 10,000 yuan, according to the State Administration for Industry and Commerce.