Near afternoon, a cashier at a supermarket in Jintai Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, there are not many customers. The shopping basket is filled with 5 twigs of white corns and two bundles of cilantro. The 62-year-old Aunt Wang did not buy a supermarket like any other customers Provided the plastic shopping bag, but took a cloth bag out of his pocket, saying it had been years for the bag to be stronger than a plastic bag and not to mention it.
The "Notice of the General Office of the State Council on Restricting the Use of Plastic Shopping Bags for Production and Sales" was released at the end of December 2007. For the past 10 years, this circular, known as the plastic limit order by the public, has been effective in limiting and reducing the use of plastic bags. However, with the passage of time, especially with the rapid development of industries such as take-out and delivery in recent years, the effect of 'plastic limit order' has been gradually weakened.
In early November this year, the relevant person in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission said that preparations will be made in conjunction with the relevant departments to study and adjust the 'plastic limit order'; the State Post Bureau and other 10 departments have also jointly issued a document and strive to promote the courier industry green packaging experts say, However, to make the 'plastic limit order' truly achieve the expected result requires a multi-pronged approach of policy guidance, consumer conscience, alternative product development and production supply, and comprehensive management.
1, the problem caused by the decrease in consumption decline
"Notice of the General Office of the State Council on Restricting the Use of Plastic Shopping Bags for Production and Sales" stipulates: 'From June 1, 2008, a nationwide ban on the manufacture, sale and use of plastic shopping bags' less than 0.025 mm in thickness '.' Since 2008 Since June 1, the plastic shopping bags will not be provided free of charge in all retail outlets of supermarkets, shopping malls, bazaars and other retail outlets. 'In the past 10 years, what has been the implementation of' plastic orders'? ?
Reporters visited a number of supermarkets in Chaoyang District, Beijing found that almost every supermarket hung at the cashier are different models of plastic bags, these plastic bags trumpet 0.2 yuan each, the large 0.3 yuan each. As the food purchase The area's hand-torn food bags are basically free, so almost every customer's shopping basket is filled with five or six such plastic bags.
Most large-scale supermarkets provide plastic bags for high-density polyethylene plastic bags, printed with 'QS' logo, the national standard number, thickness, manufacturer and other information on the bag also reads: 'To protect the environment, encourage plastic shopping bags many times Use; abandoned after the proposed recycling. 'Staff said the plastic bag non-toxic tasteless, you can put food.
'Now many consumers, especially the elderly, bring their own plastic bags or green shopping bags, and people's awareness of environmental protection is gradually increasing. "A cashier at a large supermarket chain near the General Hospital of China Civil Aviation said she had to carry out daily Ten thousand transactions, of which the proportion of customers buying plastic bags is 1/3.
National Development and Reform Commission last year released data show that 'plastic limit' since the implementation of the supermarket, shopping malls generally reduce the use of plastic bags 2/3, a total reduction of about 1.4 million tons of plastic bags, equivalent to save 8.4 million tons of oil.
However, some farmers' markets and retail outlets for merchandise still have the problem of wanton circulation of ultra-thin plastic bags, and almost all operators provide free plastic bags at a farmer's market near Dazhuangzhuang Bridge in Chaoyang District, Beijing. , Without any manufacturer and production specifications signs, the thickness is significantly lower than the 0.025 mm 'plastic limit' requirements in the side of the road, due to some fruit vendors free plastic bags too thin, many customers buy more Set of several bags.
At the same time, with the rise of 'Internet +', the field of express delivery and take-out gradually became the 'large household' of plastic bags. Relevant statistics show that the usage volume of plastic bags in the express delivery industry in China last year was about 14.7 billion. This year's 'double 11' 1.5 billion, most of which contain plastic bags that can not be degraded.
In addition, the take-away APP 'hungry' recently released take-away big data shows that China take-out market size of 600 million users in 2016 online take-away users consume more than 3 times per week as high as 63.3%. According to this data It is estimated that more than 300 million take-outs will be sent out each week, and if one plastic bag is taken out of each take-out, 300 million plastic bags will be produced. If these plastic bag wastes can not be effectively disposed of, it will be a Serious ecological pollution.
In general, the plastic limit has indeed played an important role in enhancing consumers' awareness of environmental protection and has greatly reduced the amount of plastic bags used in the early stages of implementation, but in recent years, due to the unsolved problems of wanton circulation of ultra-thin plastic bags, Courier, take-away and other areas has become a new blind plastic bag supervision, leading to the "plastic limit" the implementation of a rebound effect.
2, 'gray zone' affect the 'plastic limit' effect
In order to meet the requirement of plastic limit, the Ministry of Commerce, the National Development and Reform Commission and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce jointly promulgated the Measures for the Management of Paid Use of Plastic Shopping Bags at Retail Stores in 2008, in which the provision of plastic bags to consumers for free or in disguise And other acts to develop the relevant penalties, but the actual effect is not satisfactory.
On the one hand, law enforcement agencies difficult to obtain evidence, the difficulty is an important reason.Although many places in the market and the Quality Supervision and Inspection Bureau often inspect plastic bag manufacturers, and penalties for violations, but some without registration of illegal production of ultra-thin plastic The "dark workshop" of the bag is very hidden, which brings with difficulty the supervision of the source, meanwhile, the lack of continuity of law enforcement inspection in some places has led many farmers' markets and individual businesses to continue using ultra-thin plastic bags.
On the other hand, 'plastic limit' has its own inherent limitations and creates a lot of 'gray area.' With fewer and fewer customers bringing their own shopping bags, most customers will directly purchase plastic bags for convenience of drawing, and the supermarket will be the biggest beneficiary , So that 'plastic limit' has changed into 'sell plastic order' suspicion.
In addition, the express delivery in recent years, online or offline shopping using plastic bag packaging, 'plastic limit' is not clearly defined, giving the plastic bag to continue the proliferation of opportunities. 'Express packaging, there are three key issues, one Is a plastic bag, woven bags, scotch tape can not be degraded; the second is the existence of toxic and hazardous substances; third is the standard green packaging and testing and testing agencies are not perfect. Express packaging and more is the second re-production of materials, recycling no reproduction and remanufacturing Of the value of the vast majority of packaging and other rubbish, like direct landfill or incineration, some reused value of the delivery of packaging contaminated, it is difficult to recycle large amounts of waste recycling. 'Beijing Institute of Printing Vice president of Qingdao Institute Zhu Lei said.
At the same time, biodegradable plastic bags, green shopping bags and other high cost, limiting its large-scale promotion.In general, the cost of biodegradable plastic bags is 2 to 3 times the traditional plastic bags, the current bio-based plastics and biodegradable plastic production Only a few hundred thousand tons, compared with the annual output of 10 million tons of traditional plastics, the difference is obvious.
Consumers to 'plastic limit' unknown or subjective concept of saving the plot is also an important reason for the implementation of 'plastic limit' is difficult in a large supermarket near the Civil Aviation General Hospital, the reporter interviewed a random 10 Among the customers who are shopping, nine of them agree that 'plastic bags will cause white pollution', but only two people bring their own plastic bags and many customers said that they often receive 'ultra-thin plastic bags' free from shops, takeovers and couriers.'
Experts say it is difficult to reach an environmental vision through high-cost, abstract ethical responsibility without a low-cost, environmentally friendly alternative.
3, plus the code 'Plastic limit' focuses on the implementation of the implementation
At the joint meeting of the 30th meeting of the 12th NPC Standing Committee on November 2, He Lifeng, director of the National Development and Reform Commission, said that preparations are to be made in conjunction with the relevant departments to study and adjust 'plastic limit orders' Take-off and other industries take the lead to limit a series of non-degradable plastic packaging related to the implementation of the program, at the same time urging local governments, especially cities to intensify the implementation.In addition, the promotion of new materials, collection, screening technology is mature, the industry foundation is relatively complete cycle, Degradable packaging materials, in the mature conditions of the field and promote the use of the industry.
In early November, the State Post Bureau and other 10 departments jointly issued a document to promote green packaging in the courier industry and proposed that the proportion of degradable green packaging materials be increased to 50% by 2020. This means that the plastic limit will be up-graded New period
However, it is imperative that the relevant departments issue rules to clarify the responsibilities and obligations of supervisors, producers, sellers and consumers in all aspects so as to change the existing laws and regulations of 'plastic limit order' Strictly speaking, "There are no rules and regulations like tigers without teeth, which look great, but they are of little use." Huang Liling, a lawyer at Beijing Zhongmian Law Office, said.
Since the 'plastic limit order' was originally implemented by the government, it can not be completely relied on by businesses to realize it. Environmental protection, quality supervision and industrial and commercial departments must approve, monitor and control the production of plastic bags, Law enforcement in a ruthless move, grasp the implementation of non-compliant products to the market.
Since January 1, 2015, Jilin Province has banned the production, sale and provision of one-time non-degradable plastic shopping bags and plastic utensils, becoming the first province in China that is fully banned. At present, large supermarkets and large malls in Changchun Completed the replacement of traditional plastic bags with eco-friendly plastic bags.Whether feasible pilot, then it is necessary to legislate to raise the 'plastic limit order' to 'ban plastic orders' nationwide and how to solve the resulting substitution Expensive products, lack of regulatory power and other issues, we need to make full research.
On the other hand, it is necessary to 'sparse' to improve the design of the full chain system for the sale, use and recycling of plastic bags, which can be rewarded to consumers using green bags by government subsidies to encourage more people to develop 'bags' Good habits.At the same time can refer to the experience of overseas countries, the appropriate price of plastic bags, everyone 'pocket' hand may stop.
In addition, eco-friendly bags as alternatives are mostly expensive and cumbersome.If we can make use of new materials such as biodegradability to enhance the 'green content' of plastic bags and make them cheap and portable, I believe many people will be willing to implement eco-friendly responsibilities.
The sharing paradigm has put forward new ideas to solve this problem, and during this year's 'Double 11' there was a reusable shared courier box that not only solved user needs but also encouraged consumers to reduce the frequency of using plastic bags.
Of course, the most critical hurdle, whether it is blocking or not, is the shift in public awareness of environmental protection, taking Ireland, the most successful plastic in the world, as an example. In addition to raising the price of plastic bags through tax collection, Ireland will focus on plasticity In the cultivation of civic awareness, the government has been carrying out propaganda and education in schools and communities for a long period of time, disseminating environmental brochures and green shopping bags to consumers. Nowadays, the whole society in Ireland has become an unacceptable atmosphere of plastic bags.
'Plastic limit is the core value of the message to the community as a whole - the price of resources, the use of resources need to pay the cost.' Experts say that only guide the formation of the vast majority of consumers of resource-conscious, so that consumers from the ideological ' Limit plastic 'in order to promote people's active participation in' plastic limit ', and ultimately achieve the goal of protecting resources and protecting the environment.
Germany
Establish a plastic recycling system
Germany has established a complete plastic recycling system, which can make 99% of used plastic bags to be recycled.
German Plastic Packaging and Film Association official said the German plastic bag recycling system to ensure that the plastic bag sorting through the mechanical regeneration and energy recovery will not stay in the environment.
Germany used 6 billion plastic handbags in 2012, equivalent to 86,000 tons of total consumption, per capita annual consumption of 76 handbags.German packaging market research association responsible person reports that the annual per capita consumption of plastic bags in Europe is 198, German plastic bags consume less than half the quantity.
Ireland
Levy plastic bag environmental tax
To curb the use of plastic shopping bags and reduce white pollution, the Irish government has levied an environmental tax on plastic shopping bags since 2002. The funds collected from the Irish government are all forwarded to the newly established environmental protection fund for environmental protection projects. Before taxation, Irish shoppers annually Using 1.2 billion plastic bags, the Irish government taxed 98.68 million U.S. dollars within five years after taxing began in 2002. The use of plastic shopping bags was reduced by 95%, annual per capita consumption was 21 and tax collection was 328.
Korea
Old shopping bags for new bags
From February 1999 onwards, the South Korean government began to implement the Law of Saving Resources and Promoting Reuse of Resources. No matter how expensive it is purchased in the market, the shopping malls will not give away shopping bags. If the guests do not have their own bags, they will spend 100 Korean won the purchase of paper bags or plastic bags.Stores will be the original price to recover these bags, customers can also use the used bags to the store or supermarket renewal bags.Since the implementation of the shopping bag charging system in 1999, the use of plastic bags in Korea decreased by 60% .
Bangladesh
Offenders will be sentenced
Bangladesh banned the use of plastic bags since March 2002. Before the ban was implemented, 9.5 million people in the capital Dhaka consumed 10 million plastic bags a day and, after the ban, all 315 domestic plastic bag factories were closed, Plastic bags reduced by 90% In Bangladesh, anyone who imports or sells plastic bags in violation of the law is punishable with up to 10 years 'punishment and plastic bags with 6 months' imprisonment.
United Kingdom
'Plastic-free movement' has long arisen
Britain is one of the first countries in Europe to ban the use of plastic bags. In January 2007, 33 London-based regional governments jointly passed a bill proposing to forbid shops to provide free-of-charge plastic bags to shoppers. If consumers really need it , A 15p tax is required.The bill seeks to encourage merchants and customers to use eco-friendly shopping bags to reduce the source of white pollution.After the bill was proposed, 'plastic-free movement' was gradually emerging in the United Kingdom.London thus became the world's first A big city with plastic bags disabled.