WE'VEbeenhearingandtalkingaboutitforafairlylongtime:curbingwhathasbecomeknownas“white"pollution.Butstillweareusingthewhitepolystyrene(PS)foamfoodcontainersandotherdisposableplasticproducts,whichlargelymakeupthisformoflittering.
Miandianwang,awell-knownlocalfast-foodchain,isstillhandingouttakeoutfoodinthesePSfoamcontainers,eventhoughtheyshouldbeenphasedoutbeforeDecember31,2000,underaCentralGovernmentdecree.OneofthewaiterssaidinitsoutletonHongliRoadonMondaythattheyaregoingtoswitchtoenvironmentallyfriendlycontainers“sometimeinthefuture".
However,theMiandianwangoutletinSam'sClub,whichisaffiliatedwithWal-Mart,isofferingtake-outfoodinlightbrowncontainerswhicharebiodegradable.Liang,aclerkwithSam'sClub,toldShenzhenDailyyesterdaythattheclubrequiredtheMiandianwangoutlettodosoinitscontract.
AccordingtoLiang,allthedepartmentsintheclubswitchedtobiodegradablecontainersduringtheSpringFestivalholiday.
ZhaoHua,withtheenergydivisionoftheShenzhenMunicipalEconomicDevelopmentBureau,oneofthefivemunicipalgovernmentdepartmentsinvolvedinthecurbingofwhitepollutioninthecity,saidonMondaythatlargecompaniesandretailerslikeWal-MartandVanguardhaverespondedtothedecreebyswitchingtobiodegradablecontainers.Butsheadmittedthatisjustthetipoftheicebergintheseeminglyendlesswaronwhitepollutioninthecity.
Zhao'sbureauhasmetwithfourotherrelevantdepartmentsonseveraloccasions.WhattheyproducedisnotafeasiblesolutionbutanechoorrewordingoftheCentralGovernmentdecree,accordingtoLuoWeifromShenzhenMunicipalLegalAffairsBureau,whoisresponsibleforreviewingthis“echo".The”echo"hasnowbeenpassedontothemunicipalgovernmentwhichisexpectedtoannounceitformallyinthenearfuture.ButLuosaidshe'snotsureifthisrewordingcanplayasignificantroleineliminatingwhitepollutioninthecity.“Wedon'tlacklaws,regulationsordecrees.Therealconcernistheeffectiveenforcementoftheselawsorregulations,"saidLuo.
ZhaoHuaadmittedthatcitieslikeShanghaiandothercoastalcitieswhicharesensitiveabouttheirimageastouristdestinationsaredoingabetterjobinthisregard.“ShanghaiissaidtohaveproducedaverydetailedhandbookonhowtocarryoutthecurbingworkandHainanhasevenbanneddisposablefoamslippersinhotels,"Zhaosaid.
LiuGuanqing,presidentofShenzhenXunbaoInvestmentDevelopmentCoLtd,alocalmanufacturerofbiodegradablefoodcontainerswasveryeagertohearthemunicipalgovernment'sdecisiononthematter.“Sinceearlythisyear,I'veseenordersflyin.I'llexpandproductiononcethegovernmentannouncesitsstanceontheissue."