Currently, the amount of plastic and nylon products produced, used and then discharged into the environment according to people's consumption habits is increasing. Plastic and nylon products have been polluting the environment, leaving incalculable consequences for human health and animals and plants on Earth.
Photo: TL
* Plastic and nylon waste – The "white pollution" disaster
According to the United Nations Environment Program Report 2018: Every year the world uses 500 billion plastic bags and about 40% plastic is produced for packaging.
In Vietnam, according to a report of the Plastics Association, in 2015, Vietnam produced and consumed about 5 million tons of plastic, of which, about 80% of imported materials were used from scrap plastic. The plastic consumption index per capita in Vietnam increased rapidly from 3.8kg/year/person in 1990, increased to 41kg/year/person in 2015. The import of plastic scrap has been gradually "controlled". From 2016-2018, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment granted certificates of eligibility to import plastic scrap to 37 enterprises as raw production materials, out of a total of 208 enterprises granted, of which 34 units imported Directly, 3 authorized importers. However, the amount of imported plastic scrap is still increasing, in 2016 it was 18,548 tons, in 2017 it was 90,839 tons and in the first 9 months of 2018 it was 175,000 tons.
According to statistics of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, every day Hanoi generates 4,000-5,000 tons of garbage, of which plastic waste accounts for 7-8%, only in two big cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Discharging into the environment about 80 tons of plastic and plastic bags/day. Notably, the amount of plastic waste and plastic bags nationwide accounts for about 8-12% in domestic solid waste. If on average about 10% plastic waste and plastic bags are not reused but completely discarded, the amount of plastic waste and plastic bags discarded is approximately 2.5 million tons/year, which is a burden on the environment. , even leading to the "white pollution" disaster.
Vietnam's plastic industry is divided into the following main groups: packaging plastics, household plastics, construction materials plastics, and high-tech plastics. The whole country currently has about 2,000 plastic enterprises, of which 450 enterprises produce packaging. Plastic scrap generated from production facilities is mostly collected and sold to recycling facilities.
Plastic waste arising from daily life and consumption has not been classified at the source; Plastic waste with recyclable value is collected spontaneously at household scale, garbage collectors and free scrap pickers. Plastic waste from daily life is collected from many places such as households, supermarkets, landfills, etc. Plastic waste with no or low recycling value is plastic bags, styrofoam boxes of all kinds, and plastic straws that are discharged into the environment. destroyed and disposed of after one use.
As of May 2018, there are 43 products of 38 companies that have been certified by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment with environmentally friendly plastic bags such as Tan Chi Thanh (Long An) biodegradable plastic bags, biodegradable plastic bags AAA of An Phat Plastic and Green Environment Joint Stock Company (Hai Duong), ALTA biodegradable plastic bags of Tan Binh Cultural Joint Stock Company (Ho Chi Minh City).
* Effectively implement the policy, gradually replacing non-biodegradable plastic bags
Vietnam has policies to strengthen the control of environmental pollution due to the use of non-degradable plastic bags in daily life and integrated management of solid waste. In addition, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment coordinated with ministries, branches and localities to organize seminars on disseminating and propagating the harmful effects of single-use plastic bags that are difficult to decompose, encouraging the community to increase recycling. use plastic bags, use more friendly products like biodegradable plastic bags. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has implemented a number of scientific research projects such as "Research on theoretical basis and international experience on plastic waste control at sea", "Research on microbiological waste control". plastic", "Research and propose solutions to manage and control marine plastic waste, especially in countries with similar conditions to Vietnam".
The Ministry of Science and Technology cooperates with the Ministry of Industry and Trade to implement the programs "Research, application and development of new materials technology", "Technological innovation to 2020", etc. to include the contents of the Scheme. control environmental pollution caused by plastic bags in the Science and Technology program on environmental protection. The local level has issued decisions or directives to strengthen the management of use and disposal of non-biodegradable plastic bags, even stopping investment licenses for enterprises producing non-biodegradable plastic bags. Many supermarkets and trade centers in special and grade-I cities such as Big C, Maxi Mart, Vinmart, Coopmart... have used environmentally friendly plastic bags to replace difficult-to-decompose plastic bags.
Emphasizing on solutions, Master Nguyen Thuong Hien, Director of Solid Waste Management Department, General Department of Environment, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said: With the management agency, effectively implement Decision No. 491/QD-TTg dated May 7, 2018 of the Prime Minister approving the adjustment of the National Strategy on integrated solid waste management to 2025, with a vision to 2050 with specific targets for waste. urban living snakes.
All special-class and grade-I cities have solid waste recycling facilities suitable for household classification; 85% The remaining urban areas have solid waste recycling facilities suitable for household classification; enhancing the ability to recycle, reuse, treat and combine with energy recovery; use 100% eco-friendly plastic bags instead of bags nylon difficult to decompose in commercial centers, supermarkets.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall review and amend the Prime Minister's Decision 73/2014/QD-TTg on the list of scrap allowed to be imported in the direction of only allowing the import of plastics with high recycled value; guide ministries, sectors, localities and organizations and individuals to strictly implement waste and scrap management, including the requirement to classify recycled plastic waste in daily-life solid waste and solid waste. industry; Waste must be managed from generation to collection, transportation and treatment.
The Ministry continues to implement the Prime Minister's Decision No. 582/QD-TTg approving the Scheme on strengthening the control of environmental pollution due to non-degradable plastic bags in daily life until 2020, which identifies the following groups of tasks: synchronous economic and social solutions as well as environmental pollution treatment with the goal of "By 2020 reducing the volume of non-biodegradable plastic bags used in supermarkets and trade centers by 651T2T compared to 2010. ".
State management agencies develop appropriate policies, strategies and plans to bring small and small scattered plastic recycling facilities with current simple technology into concentrated industrial parks, upgrade processing technology, and improve the quality of plastic recycling. appropriate handling and recycling; encouraging the application of new technologies in the treatment and recycling of plastic waste; to establish concentrated plastic recycling industrial parks; limit and proceed to end the import, production and supply of non-biodegradable plastic bags from 2026 in commercial centers and supermarkets for domestic purposes; further promote the collection of environmental protection tax on non-biodegradable plastic bags; strengthen propaganda and mobilization to raise public awareness on the management of plastic waste and plastic bags.
Enterprises strictly comply with environmental protection regulations during the production process, commit to register for recognition of environmentally friendly plastic bags; coordinate with management agencies and specialized agencies in propagating and disseminating accurate technical characteristics as well as types of environmentally friendly products so that the community and consumers have a correct understanding of these types of products. product shape.
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