A few years ago, China made headlines for “breaking down the world’s waste system” when it announced a national sword policy that would slash its acceptance of recyclable imports. China then added salt to the wound by expressing a desire to ban all recyclable imports over the next few years. but overnight many countries turned away and viewed China as a traitor. But China has not only hinted at these actions before, but has also solved problems posed by other countries.
When this news first hit the front page, many claimed to have been caught off guard by the ban. China must have recognized its importance to the world’s recycling. So we should have warned other countries to build and upgrade their own recycling systems. Well, China did just that. Years before the national sword policy came into effect, China implemented a green fence policy. Given the toxic substances in these materials that harm workers and damage the environment through incineration and dumping, it would not have been difficult for China to take the next step. There are still claims that China did not ban plastic imports for its own citizens. Instead, the ban was put in place because the recycling process failed to remain profitable. This is a reasonable conclusion, but instead we should ask how it differs from the US decision to send plastic across the ocean. Needless to say, the most valuable plastic had been removed from the pile before being shipped overseas.
The reality is that the United States produced an enormous amount of waste, but as long as China was open, it never had to worry about proper disposal or recycling. reportedly produced tons of plastic. Despite recognizing the impact plastic has on the environment, production continues and the 8.7% recycling rate is not enough to offset the 16.3% that are burned or the 18.5% that end up in landfills. There is none. What upsets Americans is the number of places with blue bins that are nothing more than trash. What upsets Americans is the advertisements that label plastic as recyclable and environmentally friendly. But looking in the mirror proved too difficult, and now China must take the blame.
Once you are willing to accept responsibility, changes can be made. For example, you can invest in reusable water bottles. This small change saves an average of 156 water bottles each year. You can also inspire those around you to increase that number. The biggest bottled water companies continue to make billions of dollars and aren’t going to stop anytime soon, so they need to let their friends and family know about the big impact of small changes like this. It’s nothing more than Our public mindset must shift from mindless consumption to conscious purchases. Otherwise, we may end up in landfills with plastic in the future.
References:
https://e360.yale.edu/features/piling-up-how-chinas-ban-on-importing-waste-has-stalled-global-recycling
Chinese National Sword vs. The World: The Green Silver Lining in Our Global Recycling Crisis
https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/plastics-material-specific-data
Chinese National Sword vs. The World: The Green Silver Lining in Our Global Recycling Crisis
