The growth rate of plastic packaging materials in the world market is higher than other packaging materials, and the average annual growth rate of plastic packaging materials in 1990 1995 is 8.9%.
China is one of the top ten countries producing and consuming plastic products in the world. Most packaging plastics are discarded in the environment in the form of waste films, plastic bags and foamed plastic tableware. These waste plastic packages are scattered in urban areas, scenic tourist areas, water bodies and roads, which not only affect the landscape and cause "visual pollution", but also cause potential harm to the ecological environment because it is difficult to degrade.
The main hazards of "white pollution" are "visual pollution" and "potential hazards";
(1) "visual pollution". Waste plastic packaging scattered in cities, tourist areas, water bodies and roads brings bad stimulation to people's vision, affects the overall aesthetic feeling of cities and scenic spots, and destroys the cityscape, thus causing "visual pollution".
(2) "potential harm". Waste plastic packaging is difficult to degrade after entering the environment, resulting in long-term and deep-seated ecological and environmental problems. First of all, the mixing of waste plastic packaging materials into soil will affect the absorption of nutrients and water by crops, leading to crop yield reduction; Second, waste plastic packaging on land or in water is swallowed by animals as food, which leads to animal death (such cases are common in zoos, pastoral areas and oceans); Thirdly, it is difficult to package and treat the waste plastics mixed with domestic garbage: landfill will occupy a lot of land for a long time, domestic garbage mixed with plastic is not suitable for composting, and it is difficult to recycle the classified waste plastics because it cannot guarantee the quality.
At present, people have a strong reaction to the problem of "visual pollution", but most people still lack understanding of the long-term and deep-seated "potential harm" of waste plastic packaging.
2. What are the attitudes of countries around the world towards serious white pollution?
All countries in the world have been troubled by the intractable "white pollution" for many years and have their own unique ways to resist it.
Supermarkets in many European countries control the use of shopping bags by selling disposable shopping bags. Facts have proved that using economic leverage to deal with "white pollution" is an effective method.
Legislation prohibiting the use of plastic bags is an official measure to deal with "white pollution". San Francisco is the first city in the United States to ban plastic bags. On March 27th, 2007, the City Council of San Francisco passed a bill to restrict supermarkets, pharmacies and other retailers in San Francisco from using chemical plastic bags within six months and 1 year respectively. The bill stipulates that supermarkets and drugstore retailers are only allowed to provide customers with paper bags, cloth bags or degradable plastic bags made of corn by-products, and chemical plastic bags are strictly prohibited. If you don't want to be fined, businesses can only give up using plastic bags. After the implementation of this ban, it will save 450,000 gallons of oil and 1.400 tons of garbage every year.
Starting from 1999, the Korean government requires supermarkets across the country to stop providing plastic bags and paper shopping bags free of charge. In order to promote and publicize this measure, the Korean government posted more than 654.38 million posters, distributed 200,000 brochures and 65,000 reusable shopping bags. Singapore has also held "Bring Your own Shopping Bag Day" since last year. Every Wednesday, 206 supermarkets in Singapore encourage consumers to use less plastic bags in a non-mandatory way.
Other countries in the world are also planning to introduce relevant laws and regulations to curb "white pollution". France will ban the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags nationwide from 20 10 on New Year's Day. Peter Garrett, Australia's Minister of Environment, Heritage and Arts, announced that supermarkets in Australia will stop using plastic shopping bags in stages, and this plan will be implemented before the end of 2008.
How to prevent "white pollution" and protect the urban ecological environment in China? Relevant experts put forward the following preventive measures:
(1) put the prevention and control of "white pollution" into the legal track. At present, the state has made special legislation on this issue, and the masses hope that relevant laws and regulations will be promulgated as soon as possible.
(2) Formulate medium and long-term governance plans. It is an inevitable trend that non-degradable plastic products will "abdicate" from urban life. This requires people to have an urgent concept and make preparations in two aspects. One is to find a way out; The second is to make a timetable. Relevant departments should stipulate tasks and clarify responsibilities from three levels: radical pollution control, pollution reduction and pollution prevention, so that the treatment of "white pollution" can be carried out step by step, with goals and within a time limit.
(3) Pay attention to the prevention and control of "white pollution"; Scientific research and technical research. Vigorously support the research, production, sales and use of degradable "green" alternative products.
(4) Enhance the public's awareness of environmental sanitation, and take the prevention and control of "white pollution" as the key content of the construction of "two civilizations" and the comprehensive improvement of urban environment.
(5) Pay close attention to pollution source control, and implement the principles of reduction, harmlessness, recycling and recycling. On the one hand, we should curb the amount of "white pollution", on the other hand, we should emphasize the recycling of "white garbage".
The charge to resist "white pollution" has sounded all over the world, and the public, enterprises and governments are indispensable.