Hong Kong will implement the first phase of banning disposable plastic utensils from April 22. Drinking straws, knives and forks, cotton swabs, plastic toothpicks, etc. will disappear from now on. However, South Korea has gone in the opposite direction and has implemented a “plastic-free order” for more than a year. Later, it was suddenly withdrawn. The local government said that it had heard the voices of merchants that imposing the policy during the economic downturn would greatly increase the cost of doing business. It emphasized that public habits should be changed through education rather than punishing citizens with fines.
The cost of business has increased significantly, and the South Korean government has listened to public opinion and postponed the “plastic ban” indefinitely. The picture shows South Korean people holding takeaway coffee. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP) (Photo by JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images) (JUNG YEON-JE via Getty Images)
Real-time quotations of U.S. stocks and foreign currencies, multi-country news
South Korea’s “plastic-free” policy has not reached a consensus in society
According to statistics, the average person in South Korea throws away 13.7 kilograms of disposable items every year. The country began to implement the “Plastic Free Order” as early as 2018, banning the use of disposable cups, plates, cutlery, plastic bags, plastic tablecloths, etc. in restaurants. Supplies, violators will be fined up to 3 million won (HKD 17,600); however, due to the impact of the new coronavirus epidemic, this regulation has been suspended during the epidemic, and special arrangements have been made for disposable paper cups, plastic straws and stirring sticks, which can be waived Until November 2023.
However, after the one-year grace period expired, the South Korean authorities suddenly went in the opposite direction and announced that they would lift the ban on the use of disposable paper cups. In addition, the ban on plastic straws and stir sticks would be extended indefinitely, reviving three disposable products. South Korea’s Ministry of Environment listed three major reasons for canceling the “plastic ban” at that time. First, plastic drinking straws and stirring sticks could not be implemented smoothly during the implementation of the ban. In addition, during the one-year transition period, society did not form a sufficient consensus. In addition, in an environment of high costs, high prices and high interest rates, it is difficult for small businesses to survive, so the government should no longer put pressure on them.
South Korean environmentalists demonstrated on Earth Day in 2022 to draw public attention to plastic waste. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP) (Photo by JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images) (JUNG YEON-JE via Getty Images)
Cultivating habits through education does not rely on fines
The South Korean government’s willingness to listen reflects its empathy for small merchants. In a poor economic environment, banning paper cups will increase the cost of dishwashing staff and installing dishwashers. The price of local paper straws is also 2.5 times higher than that of traditional drinking straws. However, the paper has the disadvantage of softening when exposed to water, which makes customers In response, the authorities said they would consider banning plastic drinking straws and stirring sticks only after the quality of substitutes has improved and prices have stabilized. When South Korea implements environmental protection, it should focus on educating the public to introduce environmental protection culture into their lives, so that people can voluntarily switch to plastic alternatives, such as biodegradable bags, environmentally friendly shopping bags, etc., instead of imposing fines. In fact, the country also has a public-private partnership plan. SK Telecom, South Korea’s largest telecommunications company, has cooperated with environmental groups to launch the “Happy Habit Project”, which allows different restaurants, coffee shops, etc. to use the same reusable plastic cup without the merchant’s logo. After drinking, customers If you return the plastic cups to any participating merchant, you will receive a refund of a deposit equivalent to HK$6. After the merchant collects the plastic cups, they will be handed over to a central factory for cleaning, disinfection and reuse. Coffee shops such as Starbucks are among the participating merchants.
South Korea’s “Happy Habit Project” allows customers to choose reusable plastic cups. (Photo by Wang Yiliang/Xinhua via Getty Images) (Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images)
Canada faces legal challenges over plastic transport
South Korea has reversed its policy on plastics, and other countries are not going well either. Canada will introduce regulations banning the use of disposable plastics at the end of December 2023, prohibiting the import, production and sale of plastic shopping bags, drinking straws, stir sticks, take-out lunch boxes, disposable tableware and rubber rings for fixing multiple cans, in order to achieve the goals of 2030. However, this policy has been challenged by the business community. Three plastic manufacturers filed a lawsuit claiming that the Canadian government’s classification of these plastic products as “toxic substances” was “unreasonable and unconstitutional”. The Federal Court of Canada finally ruled The government’s definition of toxic is broad, and plastic manufacturers’ accusations stand true.
However, the Canadian authorities continue to implement the plastic removal policy and asked the court to suspend the order to repeal the plastic removal order. According to local government statistics, Canadians discard 3 million tons of plastic waste every year, including 15 billion plastic bags, and only 9% of plastic waste is recycled. As for whether Canada’s plastic ban can continue to be implemented, it depends on whether plastic manufacturers will pursue further legal proceedings.
South Korea has a serious plastic problem, especially during the epidemic, when usage increased significantly. The picture shows the situation at the local recycling yard. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images) (Chung Sung-Jun via Getty Images)
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) points out that the world must halve the use of disposable plastic products, significantly increase plastic recycling and reuse rates, and introduce alternative solutions to curb plastic pollution. In 2019, a total of 353 million tons of plastic waste was produced globally, 22% of which was sent to landfills, incinerated, or otherwise disposed of in nature.
2024-02-01 02:01:40
#Costs #business #sector #soared #South #Korean #government #listens #public #opinion #postpones #plastic #ban #indefinitely
