Recycling is the best way to "treat white"

Shenzhen plans to fully promote biodegradable plastic packaging products, Lhasa fully banned disposable foam plastic lunch boxes and plastic bags, Beijing market, disposable degradable plastic lunch boxes Liu Cheng unqualified, school cafeteria use of degradable plastic lunch box additives Excessive hygienic indicators and disposable foam plastic utensils are returning to cleanliness... This is a series of media reports on disposable foam plastic utensils. It is not difficult to see that the government has completely banned disposable foam plastic utensils and promote the use of biodegradable plastics. The firm determination of tableware, but the market reaction is not to be the will of people, in the face of performance and price are not competitive degradation of tableware, foam plastic tableware raised again and again, became the "white" in the most troubling Part.

The Beijing Environmental Science Society organized a white pollution control workshop in Beijing on October 23rd to effectively manage white pollution. At the meeting, deputies of the National People's Congress carefully listened to the opinions and suggestions on "Treatment for the White" from many environmental protection experts from government departments, colleges and universities and the business community in the country. After discussion, participants believe that recycling is still the best way to “treat white”. It is recommended that cities that have used plastic foamed tableware for recycling, such as Beijing and Guangzhou, can restore all kinds of disposable plastic tableware under certain conditions ( Including foam plastic tableware) recycling system applications. The deputies said they will make proposals and suggestions on this matter.

Degradable tableware promotion problems

The former State Economic and Trade Commission issued the first “Catalogue of Eliminating Outdated Production Capacity, Processes and Products” (Order No. 6) in 1999, requiring China to completely prohibit the production of disposable foam plastic tableware since 2001, and thereafter degraded plastic tableware companies such as Spring bamboo shoots came out after the rain. However, compared with disposable foam plastic tableware, degradable plastic tableware has no advantage in performance and price, its oil resistance and strength are far less than disposable foam plastic tableware, but to improve the use of performance and degradation performance, its production costs are also With it rises. A degradable plastic lunch box is generally about 2 cents, and foam plastic tableware is only 8 cents. The market acceptance of degradable plastic tableware can be imagined.

In fact, disposable foam plastic tableware has never disappeared in the market, and the market acceptance of degradable plastic tableware is even lower. Degradable plastic tableware itself also has serious problems. Some environmental protection tableware enterprises have used workshops on national policies and standards, mass-produced and sold counterfeit and environmentally friendly degradable plastic tableware containing excessive amounts of calcium carbonate and recycled materials, which further hit the market of degradable plastic tableware. In addition, the impact of degradable plastic tableware itself on the environment is still very controversial, many industry experts believe that the current plastic degradation technology is not mature, the quality of the secondary price is high, and can only be "disintegrated" and still harmful to the environment.

Foaming tableware recycling profit

In fact, “Treatise White” has a long history in foreign countries. In the United States, Japan, and other developed countries, it is still very easy to see disposable foam plastic tableware. Of course, high-quality degradable plastic lunch boxes can be seen in some fine restaurants. . The reason why disposable foam plastic tableware can still be used in these developed countries is related to its strict recycling system. Given that the technical problems of degrading plastics have not been able to break through, these countries no longer advocate the use of degradable tableware.

In 1997, Beijing Municipal People’s Government issued the No. 170 document and started the recycling of disposable foam plastic tableware. The recycling rate was over 60%, which solved the pollution caused by disposable foam plastic tableware in Beijing to some extent. The problem is significant. After the “Six No. 6 Order” was issued, the recycling of foam plastic tableware in Beijing also stopped.

While the recycling of waste plastic tableware in Beijing came to a standstill, Shanghai launched a “one cent penny project”. In line with the principle of “who is responsible for pollution,” it began mass production of disposable foam plastic tableware for recycling. Each waste lunch box is processed into recycled materials with a penny of 1 cent, and can be sold for 5,000 yuan per ton. With the recent sharp rise in the price of plastic raw materials, the price of recycled materials has also risen. At present, Shanghai has recycled more than 200 million disposable foam plastic lunch boxes per year, and its recycling rate has reached 70%. Facts have proved that enhanced recycling is one of the effective measures to control white pollution.

Comprehensive cut-off is yet to be discussed

In the "Order No. 6", production of disposable foam tableware was banned but not prohibited. Although some cities issued bans, most of them lacked the basis for enforcement or punitive measures, and due to the immature degradation technology at the After the production of foamed tableware was forbidden, substitute products could not keep up, so the foamed tableware had never disappeared in the market, and there was even a trend of resurgence. For instance, after Beijing completely banned disposable foam plastic tableware from 2001, there are still a large number of foamed plastic tableware in the market so far, and no one has recycled it. Pollution has been worse than 2000 years ago. This has led many environmentalists to start rethinking and comprehensively. Do you need to revise the ban?

At the workshop on white pollution control measures, experts came to the consensus that given the current immature degradation technology, it is the most feasible way to “remedy whiteness” that the main push for recycling, parallel replacement of degradation, and reduction in the use of plastic packaging. Moreover, due to the shortage of petroleum resources in China, strengthening the recycling of waste plastics has positive significance for the sustainable development of China's economy. In this regard, the deputies to the National People's Congress said that they will be reflected upwards, and that the original “white ban” decree will be re-determined and brought into line with the current actual situation and market rules. At the same time, experts at the meeting called for the need to formulate national laws and regulations on the treatment of packaging waste as soon as possible instead of simple administrative orders, and use economic leverage to coordinate the recycling market, eventually forming "regulatory support, market operations, scientific governance, and participation of all. The operating mechanism is to completely and effectively solve the environmental pollution caused by waste plastics and the waste of resources.