Recently, the European Commission proposed a 'plastic limit order' program, which plans to ban the sale of disposable plastic products such as straws and cotton swabs. Although the plan still needs approval from the European Parliament, many supermarkets in Germany have launched the 'plastic limit' program.
Some fast food giants have also taken action. Starbucks has announced that all stores worldwide will eliminate disposable plastic straws by 2020. McDonald's said that the UK and Ireland stores will replace all plastic straws with paper straws from September. It was announced not long ago that all disposable plastic products in the store will be phased out by 2020.
The hazard of 'white pollution' is undoubted. The data provided by the European environmental organization 'At Risk of the Ocean' shows that about 100,000 tons of plastic waste enters the ocean every year, causing a devastating impact on the marine ecosystem.
Reducing plastic waste and managing 'white pollution', foreign governments and related companies have been actively taking action. In contrast, although the 'plastic limit order' has been issued for ten years, the effect is very small, and even the use of plastic bags has not decreased. Dilemma.
Not to mention the market and private kitchen plastic bags can be readily available, even in many large supermarket chains, fresh plastic bags filled with fruits and vegetables are free to supply. And the rapid rise of the take-out army has greatly increased the number of plastic bags and other products. Dosage, let 'white pollution' worse.
Why is the government ban facing such awkward situation? The author believes that the lack of propaganda and supervision is the primary reason.
In fact, many people, even supermarkets and e-commerce, have not realized how a small plastic bag will harm the earth and the future. Although the 'plastic limit order' has demanded the full use of radio and television, newspapers, magazines, the Internet and other media. Widely publicize the hazards of 'white pollution', call on the people and enterprises to establish resource conservation and environmental awareness. However, after the 'restricted plastic' propaganda, it is now difficult to see relevant content in the media. At the same time, education And the work of science popularization is also weak. We still lack the perseverance of long-term flow in propaganda.
Strict law enforcement is also an important means to ensure the effectiveness of plastics. The law enforcement is not strict, the punishment is insufficient, and the illegal enterprises have also taken the loop. The 'plastic limit order' has required cooperation between industry and commerce, quality inspection, environmental protection, finance and taxation, science and technology and other departments. To ensure that all restrictions on production and restriction of sales restrictions are in place. However, the production of illegal plastic bags is hidden and scattered, which makes it difficult for law enforcement. Moreover, it involves more departments, which inevitably leads to decentralization and responsibility.
In the face of the increasingly serious 'white pollution' and the increasingly limited plastic effect, we must act more actively. Relevant departments must pay more attention to the treatment of plastic waste, further improve relevant laws and regulations, and increase punishment. The media should increase the propaganda of the 'white pollution' hazard, further enhance the public's awareness of environmental protection, and make it aware that reducing plastic waste and controlling the atmosphere is as important as water pollution.
On the other hand, the science and technology departments should also assume their responsibilities. Relevant scientific research institutions should increase research and development of waste plastics treatment and disposal technology, and strive to develop cheap, environmentally friendly substitutes for plastic products. Plastic bags have indeed brought great convenience to life. But if there is the same convenient 'green bag', people may automatically give up 'white pollution' and choose 'green'.
Only by means of rules, ethics and technology can we win the battle for a long-lasting, complex and complex battle.