44 Environment
COMMUNITY COMMUNITY
All That Plastic By Chung Hyunhwa
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
June 2021
THE REALITY OF RECYCLING It was only in 2021 that I was awakened to see where we were. My closest friend pleaded with me about our environmental status. She had read several books about environmental issues and started using bamboo toothbrushes and waste-free shampoo bars. I took the future of our next generation seriously and started reading books, listening to lectures, and participating in campaigns. Many of us are fed up with the trash problem, but not many doubt it will be recycled. In the 65 years of recent plastic history, it is known that only 9 percent of it was recycled. In Korea, the recycling rate of plastic has increased, but it is still estimated to be about 30 percent, according to Dr. Suyeol Hong, an expert in the recycling field. Also, in 2020, 1 Korean person used 67 kilograms of packaging plastic according to EUROMAP, ranking the second in the world. This may improve in 2021 because Korea has just implemented the separate collection of transparent PET water bottles for recycling. Considering all this effort to wash the material at home for recycling, it is still disappointing to confirm the numbers. The Gwangju Sangmu Incineration Plant is not running at the moment, so using the landfill is the only option. Reportedly, there will be no land available for landfills in 2030. Then what?
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MANUFACTURERS AND CONSUMERS I feel relieved to know that a lot of consumers are into recycling. However, considering that we are all busy people and how much effort we are making to recycle, manufacturers should pay attention to product/package design to leave no trash. They should use a single material as much as possible, and if this is not possible, the design should allow people to separate the materials with ease, while ensuring the sanitation and protection of the products. It may mean that products should be designed to maximize their functions but minimize the unnecessary plastic decorations. Consumers should also change their attitude toward packaging. I sometimes read complaints about packaging or wrapping even though the product was delivered with no problem. If consumers keep this attitude that packaging shows the manufactures’/sellers’ care for them, then the manufactures will want to continue overpackaging and overwrapping. WHY GO PLASTIC-FREE? Plastic lasts 500 years, and incineration of plastic releases 90 times – 90 times!!! – more carbon-dioxide than paper. Besides, hazardous gas including dioxin is released into the air as a result of incomplete combustion. Plastic is
2021-05-26 �� 9:30:48
