Reappearance of plastic straws, no need for tableware to display the abuse of plastic products quietly resurgence

The abuse of plastic products is quietly returning

　　Our reporter Cao Zheng intern Zhao Yinfan

　　Degradable plastic bags are sold in shops, milk tea shops are replaced with degradable straws, and the takeaway software has added the option of "no tableware"... More than a year ago, the "Beijing Plastic Pollution Control Action Plan (Beijing Plastic Pollution Control Action Plan"), which is called the "strictest plastic order" ( 2020-2025)" was officially implemented, and many new changes have taken place in people's daily shopping and dining.

However, the reporter recently visited and found that the banned plastic products "reappeared", some businesses "have policies, and countermeasures", and the abuse of plastic has rebounded.

Plastic straws return to milk tea shops

　　From the end of 2020, Beijing has required the city's catering industry to ban the use of non-degradable disposable plastic straws.

But recently, such straws have been seen on the counters of some beverage stores.

　　After a cup of drink was made, the clerk of the "Bengong's Tea" Dongba store neatly stuffed a transparent plastic straw into the packaging bag.

The clerk said that after using paper straws for a while in the past, they are now starting to use disposable plastic straws.

　　Why is it back now?

Mainly stuck on cost.

The reporter contacted two straw manufacturers in Hebei and Hubei respectively. The price of PLA biodegradable straws is 0.045 yuan per gram. The weight of the 12 mm thick straws used in general milk tea shops is about 2.6 grams and 2.8 grams. Calculate the ex-factory price of each PLA degradable straw is more than 0.1 yuan.

　　"Although it's just over a dime, it's still more than twice as much as a disposable plastic straw." The staff of the Hubei factory introduced.

The quotation given by Hebei manufacturers also shows that the straws of the same size, disposable plastic straws are about 0.05 yuan each, paper straws 0.09 yuan, and PLA straws 0.13 yuan.

If the monthly sales of 3,000 cups of milk tea are calculated, the monthly cost of purchasing straws has increased from 150 yuan for plastic straws in the past to 390 yuan for PLA straws now.

The reporter learned that paper straws, which are slightly lower in price than PLA straws, have been complained by many consumers because they are easy to foam and deform. After weighing them, many beverage stores quietly used plastic straws.

"No cutlery required" option as a display

　　The "Strictest Plastic Restriction Order" clearly requires that the use of non-degradable plastic bags is prohibited for takeaway services in the city's built-up areas.

　　However, the reporter saw in a take-out storage rack on Xinjiekou Wai Street that 9 of the 16 take-out items on the rack used plastic bags, and 6 of the 9 items had no material description; It shows that its composition is "high-density polyethylene", that is, it is a non-degradable plastic bag; although a take-out plastic bag is marked "environmentally friendly and degradable", the main component shows that it is still a non-degradable plastic bag.

　　The city encourages takeaway platforms to set the option of "no tableware" in the ordering process, and many platforms have also launched this function.

But in reality, this option is regarded as a display by some businesses.

　　Recently, the reporter bought a takeaway from the "Turn over! Egg Fried Rice" Sidaokou store on the Ele.me platform and Chongqing Jigongbao Jingshidai Food City store on the Meituan platform, and deliberately checked the "no tableware" option. .

But after the meal was delivered, the disposable tableware was still listed.

In this regard, the platform's customer service explained that most merchants will cause follow-up disputes and "bad reviews" in order to prevent users from accidentally ordering "no tableware", so even if they see "no tableware", they usually provide tableware.

The national awareness of plastic reduction needs to be improved

　　Next to the checkout counter of a small supermarket near Runze Mansion Community in Chaoyang District, three kinds of plastic bags of different sizes and materials are hanging.

When checking out, the owner will choose a free transparent plastic bag, and the other two types of plastic bags are hardly touched. "These two types of plastic bags are charged!"

　　Since June 2008, plastic shopping bags in supermarkets, shopping malls and other retail places in my country have been clearly marked with prices and paid for use.

On this basis, the "strictest plastic order" issued a year ago requires supermarkets to replace non-degradable plastic bags with degradable plastic bags.

However, the reporter visited and found that in some smaller supermarkets, free plastic bags and even non-degradable plastic bags are still popular.

The reason why the above-mentioned small supermarkets put out two kinds of charging plastic bags is more to cope with the inspection.

　　"Sometimes they come to check, and they are caught with a fine of at least 5,000 yuan." The owner also revealed that some customers do not accept, understand, and dissatisfied with the charges for plastic bags, which may affect his business.