Erik Solheim, UNEP's executive director, said on Monday that China's fight against imports of plastic rubbish should be a signal to wealthy countries to step up recovery and reduce non-essential products like plastic drinking straw.
A man standing in a pile of old plastic products in the village of Xa Cau, about 40 km south of Hanoi, Vietnam
Reuters reported that Solheim, Norway's environment minister, called for developed countries to reconsider the use of plastic after the restrictions in China called for the month to come into force. Do not simply think of dumping overseas for a place.
'I heard Europeans complain about China's decision. We should see this decision as a benefit to the Chinese people and a wake-up call for the rest of the world,' he said in a telephone interview.
And there are many products we do not need at all.
He said that the most typical example is the plastic particles, the substance used in cosmetics, but found it on the world's oceans, rivers and lakes are contaminated, in addition to drinking straw.
'The average American consumes 600 pipettes a year,' he said, generating a lot of plastic garbage. 'Everyone can drink directly from a cup or bottle.'
He advises restaurants and bars to post a note like 'If You Do Need A Straw, We Can Provide', etc. Some businesses have reduced their use of straw.
He also agreed to ban the use of plastic particles, which are sometimes used in facial scrubs or toothpastes, and the United States passed a law prohibiting the use of plastic particles in 2015, similar laws in the UK this month Effective.
China is the major recipient of more than half of plastic waste exports in Western countries, and some western ports have piled up huge amounts of waste since China banned imports of 'foreign rubbish', including some levels of plastic and paper waste.
Solheim said companies, including KO.N, NESN.S and DANO.PA, are taking steps to increase the recycling of plastic products or switch to biodegradable packaging. Plastic bags have been banned.
'But the issue is very serious and governments and businesses need to work harder,' Solheim said.