In the face of the increasingly serious challenge of plastic pollution, many countries around the world are upgrading their "plastic restriction" policies with unprecedented efforts, committing themselves to research and development and promotion of environmentally friendly alternatives, reinforcing policy orientation, and widely raising the awareness and participation of all sectors of the society on plastic pollution, so as to jointly promote the popularization of green production and lifestyles.
France: Toward a New Era of Plastic-Free Catering
Since New Year's Day 2023, France's fast food industry has formally entered a new phase of "plastic restriction", requiring the full replacement of disposable plastic tableware with recyclable tableware, which is another important measure following the ban on plastic packing boxes and plastic straws. In France's major supermarkets, environmental details can be seen everywhere: product labels are exhaustively marked with recycling guidelines, electronic products are clearly marked with maintenance information and accessories, and bulk sales are encouraged to reduce packaging. Notably, from 2021, more than 30 types of fruits and vegetables, including cucumbers and oranges, have been packaged in plastic film, and consumers are encouraged to bring eco-friendly containers with them. The French government has set an ambitious target of 5% of reusable packaging products on the market by 2023, rising to 10% by 2027.
France's Ministry of Ecological Transformation pointed out that the annual domestic sales of daily necessities packaging, plastic accounted for up to 20%, and most of the one-time use. To this end, France adopted the "For a Circular Economy Against Waste Act", aimed at phasing out single-use plastic products, promote recycling and the development of alternative materials, planning to achieve 100% recycling of plastics by 2025, halving the sales of single-use plastic bottles by 2030, and steadily advancing towards the goal of a complete phase-out of single-use plastics by 2040.
Thailand: Public-Private Partnership to Build a Plastic-Free Vision
Based on the Roadmap for Managing Plastic Waste 2018-2030, Thailand has strengthened public-private partnerships to promote a circular economy based on the concept of "reduce, reuse and recycle". The roadmap has implemented a number of bans, such as banning plastic microbeads and lightweight plastic bags, and has set a target of full recycling of plastic waste by 2027. Public-private partnerships have been a key driver for a total ban on the provision of single-use plastic bags in major commercial establishments in Thailand from 2020.
Under the leadership of the government, Thailand has established a multi-party plastics management system, set up additional recycling stations, and established the "Thailand Plastic Recycling Alliance" to promote the recycling of industrial plastic waste. At the same time, the Business Council for Sustainable Development (BCSD) has joined hands with environmental organizations to raise public awareness of environmental protection. Retailers have responded positively by reducing the use of plastic bags through activities such as the "Monthly Plastic Free Day", reducing the use of plastic bags by about 2 billion in 2019 alone. Thailand also plans to ban the import of plastic waste by 2025, and implement strict controls in phases to completely get rid of plastic pollution.
Germany: Efficient Recycling Mechanism Leads the New Trend of Circular Economy
In Germany, circular economy is no longer just a concept, but deep into every corner of daily life. Walking into a supermarket in Berlin, a steady stream of customers in front of the empty bottle recycling machine is a vivid embodiment of this concept. By returning empty bottles, customers not only get a financial return, but also participate in the great cause of plastic recycling. This unique deposit system not only increases the recycling rate of empty bottles, but also promotes the effective reuse of resources.
Germany's empty bottle recycling system is a model of circular economy. Hard plastic bottles through the careful processing of professional companies to return to the beverage production line, to achieve up to 25 times of recycling; and soft PET plastic bottles are converted into plastic particles, transformed into new plastic products, textiles and even other daily necessities of raw materials. According to the German Packaging Market Research Association statistics, the overall recycling rate of PET plastic bottles has been as high as 93.4%, behind this figure, is the best proof of Germany's relentless pursuit of circular economy.
Germany's empty bottle recycling rate of more than 98%, inseparable from its perfect recycling mechanism and in-depth environmental protection concept. This successful model is not only limited to beverage bottles, but has also inspired more commercial innovations, such as recycling services for containers of sanitary ware, further broadening the boundaries of the circular economy.
In Germany, the use of renewable plastics has become popular. From beverage bottles to food bags, from warehouse packing film to transportation pallets, renewable plastics are everywhere. This shift not only reduces dependence on virgin resources, but also reduces environmental pollution, demonstrating Germany's strong determination to promote green transformation.
Germany's plastic recycling rate continues to improve, thanks to the popularity of environmental awareness and product packaging bill is increasingly strict. In the context of high energy prices, Germany has become more determined to reduce packaging, the promotion of reusable packaging, expanding high-quality closed-loop recycling determination, and set up a mandatory recycling of plastic packaging indicators to further promote the "plastic" process. Germany's initiatives not only for their own environmental and economic benefits, but also for the EU and the world to provide a reference standard and example.
The fact that more and more countries are taking action to restrict plastic packaging not only demonstrates their strong determination to protect the environment at the national level, but also provides valuable experience and a model for the global response to plastic pollution.
