In 2017, China** made a decision that shocked the world - officially banning the import of foreign waste plastics, waste paper and other types of solid waste. Dubbed the "national sword", this action has quickly transformed China from the world's largest importer of foreign garbage to a resolute refusal of foreign garbage.
The implications of this important decision are far-reaching. Prior to this, China had to import tens of millions of tons of various types of waste from developed countries such as Europe and the United States every year. These countries dump their own domestic garbage into China on a large scale, seriously polluting our environment. And once China officially "pulls the cordon", these countries will be "inundated" by their own garbage in an instant, not only will their living environment be damaged, but they will also bear huge pressure on environmental governance.
China's move is undoubtedly an important measure to safeguard the country's ecological and environmental security, and it has also lit the first torch in the global green revolution. So, what kind of complex international game is hidden in this seemingly unilateral "garbage ban war" launched by China?This article will give you a comprehensive analysis of the key points.
For many years, China has been the world's largest importer of foreign waste. As long as the "foreign garbage" is mentioned, the first name of the country that comes to people's minds will be China. The reason for this situation has a lot to do with China's development path and policy of opening up to the outside world over the years.
After the reform and opening up, China urgently needs various resources such as raw materials and energy to develop its economy. The plastics, paper, metals and other waste materials contained in these foreign garbage can be recycled to obtain these resources. As a result, China began to import a large number of domestic waste products from developed countries such as Europe and the United States, and these cheap raw materials, known as "foreign garbage", became the "feed" for China's development.
In the United States, for example, this country produces about 2Of the 600 million tonnes of household waste, one-third of which is disposed of through export. The largest buyer of these exports is China. Data shows that China imports more than 13 million tons of various waste products from the United States every year, and other developed countries such as Japan and the United Kingdom are also important foreign waste countries. With just a few dollars, they will not hesitate to sell their garbage to China.
Under this huge volume of foreign garbage "import", China soon became a veritable "world garbage dump". This has made it cheaper and easier for some developed countries to get rid of their own domestic waste, thinking they would never have to pay for their waste. However, they were wrong.
This steady stream of foreign garbage is pouring into China at a huge environmental and health cost. They not only seriously pollute soil and water systems, but also pose a serious threat to people's health.
For example, e-waste is one of the main categories of waste exported from developed countries to China. These electronic wastes, which are composed of waste electrical appliances and electronic products, contain a large number of toxic and harmful substances, and must be treated with professional technology. However, in some processing areas, due to the technical and financial conditions cannot be met, some small workshops use the most simple and crude methods to dismantle, smelt and extract electronic waste, resulting in a large number of toxic waste gases and waste liquid direct discharge, seriously polluting the local air, water and soil.
This not only harms the environment, but also directly harms the health of practitioners. For example, in Xingning City, Guangdong Province, workers here are exposed to e-waste that emits toxic gases every day, which leads to serious damage to lung function and nervous system in the long run. In other places, due to the contamination of water sources, children's blood lead is seriously exceeded, and their IQ is more than 20 points lower than normal. These all record the killers brought by foreign garbage to the Chinese people.
In the face of the continuous emergence of foreign garbage poisoning, China has finally chosen to "pull the cordon".
2017 is a year of special significance in the history of China's environmental protection. This year, China officially announced to foreign countries that it would ban the import of 24 types of foreign garbage such as waste plastics and waste paperSince then, China has transformed from the world's largest importer of foreign garbage to an environmental pioneer who resolutely refuses to accept foreign garbage.
The ban has a particularly serious impact on traditional foreign waste exporting countries such as Europe and the United States. Taking the United States as an example, after losing the huge Chinese market, the situation of domestic waste products** in the United States was once precarious. In some cities, the amount of waste has plummeted by more than 80%, and large quantities of waste and plastic can only be piled up. The most important enterprises that rely heavily on exports have also closed down, causing an employment crisis in the industry.
China doesn't want American garbage anymore, it's going to be an environmental revolution. The New York Times commented. Indeed, in the United States, which was Xi to the so-called "** consumption" in the past, after the loss of a super-large consumer waste market, they were forced to face up to the embarrassing situation that they "still live in the era of waste".
During this period, Japan, the United Kingdom and other garbage countries have also tasted the "environmental protection iron fist" from China. China's customs, which were on standby, have forced them to face up to the huge amount of domestic garbage in their country by allowing a non-compliant foreign garbage ship to return to its own home.
What has China changed without paying?What kind of change has it driven on a global scale?This article will give you an in-depth analysis in the next issue.
China's decision to ban foreign garbage imports is not only responsible for its own environment and people's health, but also sends a profound signal to the world that developing countries can no longer be used as "garbage dumps".
This seemingly China-only "plastic ban" has actually played a role in fueling the global "zero waste" concept. More and more countries have begun to pay attention to the reduction and recycling of domestic waste, and have formulated science-based policies to deal with their own waste crisis. Environmental awareness and sustainability are germinating and spreading around the world.
At the same time, the "garbage ban" has also prompted a shift in China's own development concept from extensive development to green and circular development. After banning foreign waste, China has stepped up its investment in local waste management and the use of renewable resources. All localities actively promote garbage classification and renewable resource industry, and conform to the general trend of sustainable development in the world. China has also gradually transformed from a passive "waste importer" to a leader in the concept and technology of "zero waste".
What a seemingly simple ban provoked such a profound change. Many experts commented. Indeed, the China-led "garbage ban" campaign has led to new and positive changes brewing and widely advancing around the world. This is a historic landmark event on the road to achieving harmony and unity between the environment and development.