Yao Jia, the promoter of Beijing plastic limit
Hope to implement the "cigarette butt deposit system"
Yao Jia and her pen catalyst environmental science studio have been paying attention to the problem of waste reduction. "Finding a more effective way to promote the plastic restriction order" is one of their goals.
Why pay attention to plastic pollution?
How effective is Beijing's plastic restriction these years?
Any suggestions for future plastic restriction actions?
In this regard, a reporter from the Beijing News spoke to Yao Jia.
Yao Jia pointed out that cigarette butts are now the most serious plastic pollution and hopes to implement a cigarette butt deposit system.
"Those who throw them pay the price, and those who pick them up have compensation."
Touched by the plastic bag hanging on the tree
Beijing News: When did you start to pay attention to the problem of plastic pollution, and when did you start to pay attention to Beijing's plastic restriction actions?
Yao Jia: On New Year's Day in 2009, I went to the beach and saw plastic bags everywhere next to a gas station, and I took them. This is my first photo of plastic pollution.
On New Year’s Day in 2015, I saw a lot of plastic bags hanging on the treetops on the roadside on the Beijing City Railway. I wanted to do something. Just when our studio was established, I wanted to "find a more effective way to promote plastic restrictions." "As an action target.
Beijing News: What is the most shocking white pollution scene you have ever seen?
Yao Jia: The densely packed plastic bag next to the gas station is shocking.
In 2015, we used more than half a year to publicly collect 100 pictures of flying plastic.
We made the "Plastic Feiyang" national tour exhibition, which was exhibited by more than a dozen environmental protection organizations in more than ten cities across the country.
Beijing News: In 1999, Beijing began to restrict the use of 0.025mm ultra-thin plastic bags. What do you think is the effect in the past 20 years?
Yao Jia: In our first survey in 2015, we found that Beijing is doing a little better than other cities in this regard, but in some vegetable markets, one-third of merchants still use ultra-thin plastic shopping bags.
Looking back this year, the standard bags are basically used.
There are obviously fewer plastic bags hanging on the treetops.
Beijing News: In order to promote the reduction of plastic bags, what work have you done in Beijing?
Yao Jia: Our main purpose is to promote the use of plastic bags with up-to-standard labels in the market.
In the 2016 survey, a thickness gauge was used to measure the thickness of plastic bags and found it difficult to promote.
Therefore, starting from 2017, we only promoted bags that meet the standards. By promoting the unified purchase and sale of plastic bags in the market, the establishment of a "supervision model with three licenses, four divisions of labor and one responsible person" in the market. This model can also be effective with the market ban in the future. Convergence.
It is recommended to implement a cigarette butt deposit system
Beijing News: What do you think of Beijing’s “10 plastic restrictions”?
Yao Jia: This regulation puts forward a lot of systematic and detailed requirements. It has a very strong guiding significance for reducing the use of plastic products. As an environmental protection organization that specializes in researching plastic problems, we know that we can implement effective system construction step by step, which is important for solving problems. The effect will be great, otherwise it will affect the public’s confidence in the authority of the policy.
Of course, we also made some suggestions, hoping to continue to move forward steadily.
Beijing News: Do you have any suggestions for limiting plastics?
Yao Jia: I hope to implement a deposit system for cigarette butts.
Cigarette butts are now the most serious plastic pollution. A set of data shows that in 2019, my country's cigarette sales were 2367.64 billion cigarettes, and the average daily consumption was about 6.5 billion, which is twice the consumption of plastic shopping bags.
In contrast, the amount of cigarette butts recovered is zero. Except for being incinerated and landfilled, a large number of cigarette butts are discarded in the natural environment.
There are currently some laws and regulations that impose penalties on people who throw cigarette butts, but most places are not monitored and difficult to implement.
Sometimes when I was walking on the road, I saw a lot of cigarette butts on the ground, and thought to myself: How can I pick up so many?
Then I just walked to the intersection on the main road, and immediately there were no cigarette butts. Look carefully at the sanitation worker, holding a clip and lowering his head, slowly picking it up on the road.
I hope those who throw it will pay the price and those who pick it up will be compensated.
The Beijing News: How do you practice environmental protection in your life?
Yao Jia: I often bring my own shopping bags, water cups, and packing boxes. Sometimes I forget to bring them or don’t bring enough. Generally I will buy them, but I will implement some remedies.
For example, I used to bring my own chopsticks, but later I found that if the chopsticks are not used for a long time, they will get moldy. If the chopsticks are not used but washed frequently, it is not only troublesome but also wastes water. So I worked with environmental protection partners to promote "don’t take the initiative to provide disposable chopsticks". I rarely bring my own chopsticks.
The same goes for shopping bags and packing boxes. A few times I bought too much but didn’t bring enough, so I borrowed the shopping carts from the supermarkets in the community and pushed them home, so I started to promote supermarkets and bazaars to provide shared shopping carts, shopping baskets, deposit loan packing boxes. .
Li Yukun, chief reporter of the Beijing News