Reducing plastic and picking up plastic "is the theme of this year's World Environment Day. The problem of Plastic pollution has become the focus of attention all over the world. It is urgent to prevent and control Plastic pollution.

Since the 1950s, approximately 9 million people have been engaged in polymer production and plastic processing industries. The production and use of plastic worldwide has grown exponentially, with plastic production soaring from 2 million tons in 1950 to 430 million tons in 2022. According to OECD data, less than 10% of plastic worldwide is recycled. Lightweight, sturdy, and inexpensive plastic has penetrated our lives, society, and economy, but its rapid growth has a negative impact on the environment Human health and the economy have caused significant losses. Currently, approximately 430 million tons of plastic are produced globally every year, with over two-thirds being products with shorter lifespans that quickly become waste and continue to increase in quantity after a single use. If everything goes as usual, global plastic production will triple by 2060 A few days ago, the data of the report "Cutting the Root: How the World Ends Plastic pollution and Creates a Circular Economy" issued by the United Nations Environment Programme showed that Plastic pollution has become a serious threat to human and earth health, driving the triple global crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and waste.

According to the report, if countries and companies can make full use of existing technologies and make in-depth policy and market changes, the global Plastic pollution is expected to reduce by 80% by 2040. To achieve this goal, the report suggests first phasing out problematic and unnecessary plastics to reduce the scale of pollution problems. At the same time, the report calls for three major market transformations, namely reuse, recycling, and adjusting market positioning and achieving product diversification.

In terms of recycling, promoting recycling options, including refillable water bottles, bulk dispensers, deposit refund plans, packaging recovery plans, etc., can reduce Plastic pollution by 30% in 2040. The government must assist in tapping into greater commercial value for reusable items in order to realize their potential.

In terms of recycling, if recycling can become a more stable and profitable business, Plastic pollution can be reduced by 20% by 2040. Measures such as abolishing fossil fuel subsidies and implementing design guidelines to improve recyclability can increase the proportion of economically recyclable plastics from 21% to 50%.

In terms of positioning adjustment and diversification, carefully use products made of alternative materials such as paper and compostable materials to replace products such as plastic packaging paper, sample and delivery packaging box, which can reduce Plastic pollution by another 17%.

China has always attached great importance to the control of Plastic pollution, and has always gone all out. In 2001, China introduced a policy to stop the production of disposable foam plastic tableware. In 2008, China completely banned the production, sale, and use of plastic shopping bags with a thickness of less than 0.025 millimeters, and implemented a paid use system for plastic shopping bags in all supermarkets, shopping malls, market markets, and other retail venues. In 2020, China issued the Opinions on Further Strengthening the Control of Plastic pollution, extending the source reduction policy to the addition of Microbead, elimination of disposable non degradable plastic straws, etc