Investigation report on the environmental impact of disposable lunch boxes.

First, the status quo and harm of "white pollution"

As a new type of material, plastic products have the advantages of light weight, waterproof, durability, mature production technology and low cost, and are widely used all over the world, with an increasing trend year by year. The growth rate of plastic packaging materials in the world market is higher than other packaging materials. The average annual growth rate of plastic packaging materials from 1990 to 1995 was 8.9%.

China is one of the top ten countries producing and consuming plastic products in the world. 195 China's plastic output was 5190,000 tons, and nearly 6 million tons of plastics came to Japan. In that year, the total consumption of plastics in China was about 1 1 10,000 tons, including 2 1 1 10,000 tons of packaging plastics. 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.

According to the survey, 3% of Beijing's domestic garbage is packed in waste plastics, with an annual total of about 6,543,800 tons. 7% of Shanghai's domestic waste is packaged in waste plastics, with an annual total of about 6,543,800 tons. In Tianjin, the annual waste plastic packaging also exceeds 6,543,800 tons. Every year in Beijing, about 2.3 billion plastic bags, 220 million disposable plastic tableware and 6.75 million square meters of discarded agricultural films are discarded in the environment. People jokingly call it "suburban white."

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 danger". 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.

Two, the general practice of prevention and control of "white pollution" at home and abroad

1, prevention and control of "white pollution" abroad.

As early as 1985, the average consumption of plastic packaging in the United States reached 23.4 kg, that in Japan was 20. 1 kg and that in Europe was 15 kg. In 1990s, the per capita consumption of plastic packaging materials in developed countries was higher (the per capita consumption of plastic packaging materials and other plastic products in China was 13.5438+02kg). From the perspective of consumption, it seems that the "white pollution" in developed countries should be very serious, but it is not. The reasons are as follows: First, the city appearance management in developed countries has been strict for a long time, and few people casually throw away discarded plastic packaging materials, basically putting an end to "visual pollution". Second, the harmless treatment rate of domestic garbage in developed countries is high. Take the United States as an example Before 1980s, the main way to treat waste plastics was landfill. Later, it was found that plastics did not degrade for a long time. After the 1990s, they turned to recycling.

Now a strict sorting and recycling system has been established, most of the waste plastic packaging materials have been recycled, and a few of them have been converted into energy or treated harmlessly in other ways, basically eliminating the potential harm of waste plastic packaging materials.

The United States has enacted the Law on Resource Protection and Recovery, which clearly stipulates the technical research, system construction, operation and development planning of solid waste management, resource recovery and resource protection. California, Maine, new york and other states 10 have successively introduced the deposit system for recycling packaging supplies. Japan has made special provisions in the Renewable Resources Law, the Law on Supporting Energy-saving Renewable Resources and the Law on Recycling Packaging Containers, in order to promote manufacturers to simplify packaging and clarify the recycling obligations of manufacturers, sellers and consumers. Germany clearly stipulates in the circular economy law that whoever manufactures, sells and consumes packaged goods has the obligation to avoid producing, recycling and treating waste. German packaging laws and regulations link the obligation of recycling, utilization and disposal of waste packaging materials with the production, sale and consumption rights of commodities, and decompose the obligation of recycling, utilization and disposal into every subtle link of the whole life cycle of commodities and their packaging materials, so it has strong operability and effectiveness.

2. The methods of preventing and controlling "white pollution" in China and their advantages and disadvantages.

At present, China has begun to take administrative and technical measures to prevent and control "white pollution".

In administration, the first is to strengthen management. For example, the problem of "white pollution" on both sides of the railway, which is concerned by the society, has been obviously improved by strengthening management. Starting from the second half of 1994, the railway department has segmented the sections along the line. Some passenger trains use bagged garbage, and passengers are forbidden to throw garbage out of the window. Unlike before, the flight attendants directly swept the garbage out of the window, but unloaded the garbage bags at the station for centralized treatment. Nowadays, there are more and more trains using bagged garbage, and the phenomenon of throwing garbage outside the train at will is less and less. "White pollution" has been basically eliminated on both sides of the 29,000-kilometer line. Practice has proved that strengthening management is an effective means to prevent and control "white pollution".

Second, it is forbidden to use disposable plastic packaging materials that are difficult to degrade. Hangzhou is the first city in China to ban the use of disposable foamed tableware. Hangzhou September 5 1995 The Bureau of City Appearance and Environmental Sanitation, the Administration for Industry and Commerce and the Health Bureau jointly issued the Notice on Prohibiting the Use of Foamed Plastic Fast Food Boxes, which was published in Hangzhou Daily for three consecutive days. In the process of implementation, the management department found that some individual mobile vendors are still selling foamed plastic tableware. Recently, the Standing Committee of Hangzhou Municipal People's Congress passed the Regulations of Hangzhou Municipality on the Administration of Urban Appearance and Environmental Sanitation. Article 35 of the Regulations stipulates that it is forbidden to sell and use non-degradable disposable tableware made of foamed plastics. Offenders can be fined 500 ~ 5000 yuan. The Regulation will be implemented from1September 1997 15. Wuhan, Harbin, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Ningbo, Shantou and other cities have also promulgated relevant policies and regulations to prohibit the local use of disposable foam tableware. By taking the above measures, the harm of "white pollution" has been alleviated to some extent. However, from the results of practice, it is difficult to completely solve the problem of "white pollution" simply by banning it. All cities that have issued the ban require paper products or degradable plastic products to replace the original fire-resistant foam plastic products. However, substitutes cannot compete with ordinary plastic products in price and quality. Therefore, under the condition of market economy, it is very difficult to operate only by administrative orders without considering the adjustment of economic leverage.

Third, compulsory recycling. Clean waste plastic packaging can be reused, or used for granulation, oil refining, paint making, building materials and so on. Recycling conforms to the general principle of "reduction, recycling and harmlessness" in solid waste treatment. Recycling can not only avoid "visual pollution", but also solve "potential harm", relieve the pressure on resources, reduce the load of urban solid waste treatment, save land and achieve certain economic benefits. This is a good way to treat both the symptoms and the root causes. But recycling should be before the waste plastic packaging enters the garbage. It is not only time-consuming and laborious to re-sort waste plastic packaging from garbage dump, but also the utilization value of waste plastic is very low. Because the classified waste plastic products are too dirty, it is difficult to classify them by material, and the quality cannot be guaranteed. On the basis of investigation and study, Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau has determined the technical route of "recycling first, substitution second, differential treatment and comprehensive prevention". 1 June, 9971day, the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau and the Municipal Administration for Industry and Commerce jointly issued the Circular on the Recycling of Waste Plastic Dining Boxes, requiring units or individuals that produce and distribute disposable plastic tableware (including trays, bowls and cups) in Beijing to be responsible for recycling the waste tableware or entrust other units to recycle it. The circular also stipulates that the recovery rate of 1998 must reach 30%, that of 1999 is 50% and that of 2000 is 60%. After the announcement, the production and distribution units and individuals immediately went to the local environmental protection department to apply for registration and put forward their own recycling plans and specific safeguard measures. This is a breakthrough for Beijing to solve "white pollution". After achieving practical results, we will gradually increase the types and proportion of waste plastic products that are forcibly recycled, and finally eliminate "white pollution". Tianjin Environmental Protection Bureau completed the feasibility investigation report of Tianjin's prevention and control of "white pollution" project, and put forward a set of prevention and control schemes, determined to achieve the purpose of saving resources and eliminating pollution through recycling. At present, the recycling plan, the operation chart of the pilot work and the progress outline of the pilot work are being formulated, and the Tianjin White Pollution Prevention and Control Industry Association is being prepared.

Technically, one is to use paper instead of plastic. The main component of paper is natural plant cellulose, which can be easily decomposed by microorganisms in the soil after being discarded, so it can solve the "potential harm" mentioned above, but it will also bring new environmental problems: first, papermaking needs a lot of wood, and China's forest resources are not rich; Secondly, the paper-making process will bring water pollution. In addition, paper products can't compete with plastic products in performance and cost. At present, China also has the practice of producing disposable tableware with sugarcane stalks and straws as raw materials, but it is still in the experimental stage.

The second is to use degradable plastics. A certain amount of additives (such as starch, modified starch or other cellulose, photosensitizer, biodegradable agent, etc. ) is added in the production process of plastic packaging products, which reduces the stability of plastic packaging products and is easier to degrade in the natural environment. At present, there are 19 companies in Beijing that develop or produce degradable plastics. Tests show that most degradable plastics begin to become thinner, lose weight, lose strength and gradually break after being exposed to the general environment for 3 months. If these fragments are buried in garbage or soil, the degradation effect is not obvious. The use of degradable plastics has four disadvantages: first, it consumes a lot of food; Second, the use of degradable plastic products still cannot completely eliminate "visual pollution"; Third, due to technical reasons, the use of degradable plastic products can not completely solve the "potential harm" to the environment; Fourthly, degradable plastics are difficult to recycle because they contain special additives.

Three, China in the treatment of "white pollution" problems.

The main problems in the prevention and control of "white pollution" in China are:

1, there is no special national regulation.

The prevention and control of "white pollution" should not only rely on the consciousness of enterprises or individuals, but should take compulsory measures to restrain the behavior of citizens and workers in catering and transportation industries. For example, enterprises or individuals are required to recycle waste plastic packaging materials generated in their own production, operation and consumption activities; Punish the act of discarding and stacking waste plastic packaging materials at will. But so far, China has not formulated national laws and regulations in this regard.

2. Lack of relevant economic policies.

In order to arouse the enthusiasm of enterprises for recycling, processing and utilizing waste plastic packaging materials, it is necessary to give these enterprises preferential policies. The existing preferential policies for comprehensive utilization are not enough to form a benign market mechanism for waste plastic packaging and recycling industry. In order not to increase the burden on the government and to embody the principle of "polluter pays", garbage producers should be required to recycle by themselves, and enterprises or individuals who cannot recycle by themselves should pay the recycling fee to compensate the recyclers. This practice is quite common abroad, but there is no such economic policy in China at present.

3, management can't keep up.

The "white pollution" in cities, scenic tourist areas, traffic trunk lines and waters is mainly caused by poor management. The catering, commercial, railway, water transport and other departments did not take strict management measures for the waste plastic packaging materials produced in business activities, allowing customers to throw them directly on the ground or in the water, and even some staff members threw the collected waste into the window or in the water. The supporting facilities of urban streets and tourist areas are not perfect, and the density of trash cans in busy areas such as shopping malls, restaurants and parks is too low to classify trash cans. Although the city appearance and environmental sanitation department has regulations prohibiting littering, there are few law enforcement inspectors, and it is more common to violate the law.

4. Inconsistent management ideas.

A considerable number of areas in China do not know enough about the harm of "white pollution", and the prevention and control of "white pollution" has not yet been put on the agenda. Some places advocate using paper instead of plastic or using degradable plastic to solve "white pollution", while others advocate recycling to solve problems, and management ideas are still not unified.

People's awareness of environmental protection needs to be further improved.

Although the concept of environmental protection of urban residents has improved compared with previous years, they have begun to pay attention to environmental issues, but they have not yet implemented their own actions. Discarding waste, dumping and littering waste plastic packaging materials can be seen everywhere. News media reports on "white pollution" mostly focus on replacing plastics with paper and using degradable plastics, lacking guidance and education on residents' daily behavior. Producers, business units and consumers of plastic packaging have no sense of responsibility, neither internal motivation to fulfill their obligations, nor external pressure to recycle, utilize and dispose of waste plastic packaging.

Four, the prevention and control of "white pollution" countermeasures and suggestions

Summarizing the practical experience of preventing and controlling "white pollution" at home and abroad, and combining the present situation of "white pollution" and the problems existing in its management, the prevention and control of "white pollution" in China should follow the principle of "publicity and education as the guide, strengthening management as the core, recycling as the main means and product substitution as the auxiliary means".

To prevent and control "white pollution", we must first solve the problem of "visual pollution" and obviously improve the city appearance and landscape. This mainly depends on publicity and education to guide citizens to form good living habits; At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen management according to law and urge enterprises and individuals to properly collect and dispose of their own waste plastic packaging materials. To prevent "white pollution", it is more important to solve the long-term and deep-seated harm of waste plastic packaging to the ecological environment. This is mainly through the formulation and implementation of laws and economic policies conducive to recycling, comprehensive recycling of waste plastic packaging; In order to prevent and control "white pollution", we should also strengthen the research and development of practical alternative (green) packaging supplies. In order to speed up the prevention and control process of "white pollution" in China, the following countermeasures and suggestions are put forward:

1, strengthen publicity and education. Preventing and controlling "white pollution" is a systematic project, which requires the joint efforts of all departments and industries and the active participation of the whole society and all citizens. We should vigorously carry out publicity and education, raise people's awareness of the harm of "white pollution", raise the environmental awareness of the whole society, and educate people to develop good hygiene habits. While strictly observing environmental protection laws and regulations, actively stop bad behaviors around you.

2. Unify ideological understanding and strengthen management. According to the prevention and control principle of "publicity and education as the guide, strengthening management as the core, recycling as the main means and product substitution as the auxiliary means", firstly, strengthen the publicity on the harmfulness of "white pollution" and guide and educate citizens to consciously prevent and control "white pollution"; Second, it is aimed at industries that produce a lot of waste plastic packaging materials (such as railways, water transport, civil aviation, tourism, catering, restaurants, retail and so on). ), it is necessary to strengthen management and change the phenomenon of unattended, disorderly stacking and random abandonment; Third, take compulsory measures to start with the recycling of waste plastic packaging materials (such as disposable foamed lunch boxes) and gradually improve the recycling rate of waste plastic packaging materials; Fourth, strengthen the development and research of alternative packaging products, and strive to reduce the number of waste plastic packaging.

3. Formulate and promulgate relevant national laws and regulations for preventing and controlling "white pollution" as soon as possible, and clarify the obligations and legal responsibilities of producers, sellers and consumers to recycle waste plastic packaging materials. Specific control measures and guiding policies should be formulated for the production, operation and consumption of plastic packaging materials, so as to control the production of waste plastic packaging materials that are not easy to recycle and encourage the improvement of the recycling rate of waste plastic packaging materials.

4. Formulate appropriate economic policies and establish a benign operation mechanism to eliminate "white pollution" under the conditions of market economy. Use economic means to encourage and promote the "reduction, recycling and harmlessness" of waste plastic packaging materials, save and comprehensively utilize resources, prevent and control "white pollution" and protect the ecological environment.