Before the end of 2017, it is completely banned from importing solid wastes with high environmental hazards and strong reaction from the masses; before the end of 2019, the gradual cessation of importing solid wastes that can be replaced by domestic resources... China’s 'foreign garbage' ban has attracted widespread attention internationally. The accumulation of rubbish has caused many countries to call 'can't eat,' and even lead to unreasonable accusations in some countries. However, the world has its own justice. A rational voice points out that the world should be grateful to China.
'China is grateful'
'China has been grateful as a recipient of waste plastics. 'The German "Süddeutsche Zeitung" made such a comment. This is indeed the case.
At present, global waste exports are highly dependent on China. According to the United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database, more than 70% of the world's waste plastics and 37% of waste paper are exported to China in 2015. European countries and the United States are the mainstay of these waste products. Origin.
According to the Spanish National newspaper, since the 1980s, China has been the largest importer of waste materials including waste plastics, paper and textiles. These imported wastes are mainly from developed countries. In 2015, China imported a total of 46 million tons of waste. In 2016, the final destination of 56% of the world's waste is China.
The Belgian Contest Illustrated Belgium website reported that in the past, 2/3 sorted garbage was collected on the spot in Europe, and the remaining 1/3 was shipped to China. China’s annual imports of solid waste reached 5,000. Tens of tons, of which only 9 million tons of plastic waste, and mainly from Europe and the United States.
Germany's "Süddeutsche Zeitung" reported that in 2016, only 1.5 million tons of waste plastics were shipped to mainland China and Hong Kong, China, accounting for half of Germany's total waste plastics. The UK shipped nearly 800,000 tons of plastic waste to China last year. , accounting for about 65% of the total amount of waste plastics in the UK.
The British "Guardian" pointed out that since 2012, the UK exported 2.7 million tons of waste plastics to China, accounting for 2/3 of the total UK plastic exports.
According to the US "New York Times" report, about two-thirds of the US waste is disposed of in its territory, and the remaining one-third is exported to 150 countries around the world. China is the largest waste exporter in the United States, accounting for about 40%. The share. The media also pointed out that one-third of the 37 million tons of US exports exported in 2017 were shipped to China.
Forced Western environmental reform
China's rejection of 'foreign rubbish' forced the West to take quick steps to deal with it. The Paris Contest Illustrated reported that China's foreign ban would bring a new look to the recycling industry, and the future garbage classification will be more careful than in the past.
Some companies in developed countries have begun to increase waste sorting facilities to meet China's increasingly stringent standards for solid waste imports. US environmental policy expert Frank said that in order to meet China's new standards, the United States is currently using artificial intelligence, Garbage is sorted.
Eric Solheim, executive director of UNEP, said that China's fight against 'foreign garbage' should be a signal for rich countries to strengthen recycling. In fact, many countries have begun to take action.
The Financial Times website reported that the impact of the ban on waste exporters was self-evident, and the EU quickly responded by deciding to tax plastic bags.
In a report, the House of Representatives Environmental Monitoring Committee of the House of Representatives stated that taxation policies should be used to improve the waste collection and reprocessing industry in the UK. According to the New York Times, as a response to this, Starbucks is located in London from February this year. 20 to 25 stores in the city center began to adjust the price, a cup of more than 5 pence, if the consumer comes with a cup, buy coffee can be 25 pence.
On January 23, the EU announced its first plan to dispose of plastic waste, which will phase out disposable plastics. The goal is to recycle all plastic packaging used in the EU by 2030.
British Prime Minister Teresa May also said in January that the UK will eliminate all avoidable plastic waste within 25 years.
Germany's "Süddeutsche Zeitung" reported that Germany, a large country for garbage collection and classification, is clearly affected by the Chinese ban. Germany will gradually increase plastic recycling in the next few years. Currently 36% of plastic waste is recycled, by 2022, this proportion It should rise to 63%. At the same time, the EU is also drafting a new circular economy package and will increase waste recycling as a target.
Contributing to global ecological security
'Although the problem of garbage disposal can not be solved overnight, but China has taken a valuable first step. 'There is the media saying so.
Spain's "National News" reported that the recycling of large amounts of waste has seriously affected the environment. The report described the situation in Guiyu, Guangdong: The local rivers are all in dark colors, and the health of local people also has problems, the incidence of cancer Rising year after year.
In fact, from heavy industry, raw material processing to textiles, rich countries have shifted polluting industries to poor countries. This situation has not only occurred in China, but wastewater from some textile mills in Bangladesh has also seriously polluted rivers.
China’s ban on 'foreign garbage' has made a good start to change this. Spain’s “National News” believes that China’s ban on “foreign garbage” will help reduce the environmental damage caused by 'foreign garbage’. It will also enhance China's recycling industry's ability to handle the growing domestic waste.
The British "Financial Times" website quoted experts' opinion that after the "foreign garbage" was sealed, the recycling industry could only go back and think about how to establish and develop its own recycling system in China; and the high-quality disposal capacity. Fully disposing of domestic resources will inevitably significantly reduce the proportion and quantity of garbage entering small workshops. In the long run, the ultimate goal of the ban is undoubtedly to improve the recycling rate of domestic solid waste, and even to force the front-end garbage classification and promote the circular economy. development of.
Greenpeace East Asia also believes that the cessation of importing 'foreign garbage' will drive the development of domestic solid waste processing and utilization industry and waste separation and recycling. Taking the waste plastics industry as an example, the annual import volume of China's waste plastics has soared from 300,000 tons in 1992 to After the import of 7.34 million tons in 2016, China's waste plastics enterprises will face a shortage of raw materials of millions of tons per year, which needs to be filled through domestic waste separation and solid waste recycling systems.
Create a good production and living environment for the people and contribute to global ecological security. China has set an example. (People's Network)
Information +
Seoul residents fight because of 'garbage into the mountains' Korean media: They all blame China forbidden foreign garbage
'Korean community turned into a garbage dump, waste plastics piled up like mountains!' According to South Korea's "Herald Economics" report, because the waste recycling company refused to buy renewable plastics such as waste plastics and foam boxes, residential areas in Seoul and other metropolitan areas began to appear on the 1st. The pile of unmanned cases. The media said that this chaotic situation is related to China’s policy of stopping importing 'foreign garbage'.
According to the report, the Korean garbage collection company announced that it will stop purchasing waste plastics, foam products and plastic bottles from April on the grounds of lower profits and no profit. This decision made the community that signed the waste recycling agreement with the recycling company.殃. Many residents throw waste plastics or foam products in the recycling station, but then no one recycles them. The more piles are piled up. Some residential property personnel then prohibit residents from discarding plastic garbage, and the two sides collide.
According to South Korea’s “Korean Daily”, in the past, Korean waste recycling companies generally signed contracts with residential properties, and after paying an average of 1,000 won (about RMB 6 yuan) per household, they took away empty bottles, cans and waste paper from the community. At the same time, they also took away the plastic bags, foam and other white garbage in the community free of charge, and then exported the renewable garbage to China or to Korean related companies. In general, plastic bags and foam plastics, etc. The recycling business of white garbage has no profit at all, even at a loss, but the recycling company can fill the profits of recycling empty bottles and waste paper. Since China announced the ban on the import of 'foreign garbage', the price of renewable garbage in South Korea should be heard. In 2012, the price of 0.02 won (about 3.6 yuan) of waste resin bottles per kilogram fell to 257 won in March this year; the price of waste plastics also dropped from 90 won to 20 won.
In response to this phenomenon, the South Korean presidential palace, Cheong Wa Dae, said on the 2nd that it will quickly regulate the recycling of chaos and solve the inconvenience of the people. The Ministry of the Environment of the Republic of Korea also said that it has negotiated with the garbage clearing industry, all of Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province. The household garbage recycling company will recycle plastic waste such as waste plastics and lunch boxes from the same day. After the Ministry of the Environment fully explains the relevant subsidy policies, the recycling companies and the community will renew the garbage removal agreement. The Ministry of the Environment also indicated that it will check and correct the illegal rejection. Garbage behavior, trying to boost the garbage recycling market that has shrunk due to blocked exports.
South Korea's "Central Daily News" pointed out that although the 'garbage chaos' temporarily eased, the problem of recycling waste can not be completely solved. As early as 2 years ago, some people have suggested that 'recycling waste recycling market will lead to garbage disposal problems' Warning, but the government has not come up with a response policy. According to reports, the crisis in the garbage collection market is getting worse and worse, and the types of garbage rejected by recycling companies will be more. (Global Times)
Attitude +
Customs launched a second round of concentrated attacks on 'foreign garbage' smuggling operations
According to the legal network Beijing reported on April 3, the General Administration of Customs revealed today that from March 29 to April 2, the General Administration of Customs organized a second round of concentrated attacks against the 'foreign garbage' smuggling 'Blue Sky 2018' special action. 34 criminal cases were filed, 25 criminal smuggling smuggling solid wastes were seized, 52 criminal suspects were arrested, and 111,000 tons of smuggled solid wastes were initially inspected, of which 64,700 tons of waste slag prohibited by the state were seized.
It is understood that special operations, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Xiamen, Qingdao, Changsha, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Gongbei, Huangpu, Nanning, Haikou and other 14 customs, smuggling of imported slag and resale permit smuggling Solid waste illegal activities have been hit hard.
In combating the smuggling of waste slag, the Customs case investigated and smuggled six cases of smuggling imported waste slag, and verified 66,000 tons of waste slag involved in the case. Among them, 64,700 tons of waste slag were seized on site, and 12 suspects were arrested. After identification, the smuggled waste slag was involved. For foreign smelting derivatives, harmful substances exceed national standards, and the state bans importing goods. The smugglers falsely report waste slag as mineral raw materials smuggled and imported, which may cause pollution to domestic air, water and soil.
In the fight against the smuggling of resale licenses, the Customs case investigation and smuggling smuggled 28 cases of solid waste that can be used as raw materials, and verified 45,000 tons of solid wastes, such as scrap metal, waste cloth and waste plastics, which were used as raw materials. 40 suspects. After preliminary investigation, a few domestic importers and production enterprises with environmental protection qualifications illegally resell import licenses, resulting in the direct import of solid waste imported through licenses into small workshops and distribution centers that do not have environmental protection qualifications. China is extremely vulnerable to pollution of the local environment. Since 2018, with 4 categories of 24 solid wastes listed in the Catalogue of Prohibited Imports of Solid Waste, the space for smuggling imported waste plastics with the license of others has been greatly reduced. Most of the cases occurred before the adjustment of the catalogue. The Customs anti-smuggling department carried out deep-expanding and expanding the smuggling crimes of the smuggling criminal gangs within the effective period of criminal prosecution.
According to reports, this round of blows is the second round of concentrated action against the 'foreign garbage' smuggling 'blue sky 2018' special action organized by the General Administration of Customs this year. It strongly demonstrates that the customs maintains a high-pressure situation and severely cracks down on 'foreign garbage' smuggling. Win the 'blue sky defending war' and earnestly safeguard the national ecological environment. In 2018, the General Administration of Customs focused on combating the smuggling of 'foreign garbage' and deployed the national customs to carry out the 'Blue Sky 2018' special action. As of now, it has been criminalized. 139 cases of smuggling of solid waste were filed.
In the next step, the national customs will follow the decision of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on building a beautiful China, closely cooperate with relevant departments, continue to maintain a high-pressure and severe situation, and resolutely refuse to 'foreign garbage' outside the country.
