white pollution
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White pollution is an image title of the environmental pollution phenomenon of one of the refractory plastic garbage (especially plastic bags). It refers to the use of polystyrene, polypropylene, PVC and other polymers of plastic products made from various types of life become a solid waste disposal after use, due to free throw litter, dealing with difficult degradation, resulting in severe urban environment pollution. Plastich has advantages of light weight, waterproof, anti-corrosionSince the development of plastic earlier this century, it has become a popular material used in a wide variety of ways. Today plastic is used to make, or wrap around, many of the items we buy or use. The problem comes when we no longer want these items and how we dispose of them, particularly the throwaway plastic material used in wrapping or packaging. Plastics are used because they are easy and cheap to make and they can last a long time. Unfortunately these same useful qualities can make plastic a huge pollution problem. The cheapness means plastic gets discarded easily and its long life means it survives in the environment for long periods where it can do great harm. Because plastic does not decompose, and requires high energy ultra-violet light to break down, the amount of plastic waste in our oceans is steadily increasing.Studies done locally show about 3 500 particles of plastic per square kilometre of sea off the southern African coast. Surveys of 50 South African beaches from the Eastern Cape to Cape Town show that in five years to 1989 plastic pollution has increased by 190%. More than 90% of the articles found on these beaches contained plastic. Plastic is now found on virtually all South African beaches, even the most remote, and researchers are now also finding plastic rubbish in Antarctic regions.The plastic rubbish found on beaches near urban areas tends to originate from use on land, such as packaging material used to wrap around other goods. On remote rural beaches the rubbish tends to have come from ships, such as fishing equipment used in the fishing industry.White pollution has two main hazards:"Visual pollution" and "potentially hazardous"."Visual pollution" :Refers to the plastic bags, lunch boxes, cups, bowls and other one-time non-degradable plastic products scattered in the natural environment, to people adverse visual stimulation, affect the overall beauty of the natural environment! 1、Disposable plastic foam food containers and plastic bags holding food seriously affect our health.2、so that environmental degradation, soil compaction, seriously affecting the growth of crops.3、landfill is still the treatment of municipal waste in China as a major method that ownership of land resources, pollute the environment.4、If the direct incineration of waste plastics, the second will cause serious environmental pollution, toxic substance dioxin, this substance can cause cancer.This plastic can affect marine wildlife in two important ways: by entangling creatures, and by being eaten.Turtles:Turtles are particularly badly affected by plastic pollution, and all seven of the world's turtle species are already either endangered or threatened for a number of reasons. Turtles getentangled in fishing nets, and many sea turtles have been found dead with plastic bags in their stomachs. It is believed they mistake these floating semi-transparent bags for jellyfish and eat them. The turtles die from choking or from being unable to eat. One dead turtle found off Hawaii in the Pacific was found to have more than 1000 pieces of plastic in its stomach including part of a comb, a toy truck wheel and nylon rope.Marine Mammals:There is great concern about the effect of plastic rubbish on marine mammals in particular, because many of these creatures are already under threat for a variety of other reasons e.g. whale populations have been decimated by uncontrolled hunting. A recent US report concluded that 100 000 marine mammals die each year in the world's oceans by eating or becoming entangled in plastic rubbish, and the position is worsening.When a marine mammal such as a Cape fur seal gets caught up in a large piece of plastic, it may simply drown, or become exhausted and die of starvation due to the greater effort needed to swim, or the plastic may kill slowly over a period of months or years as it bites into the animal causing wounds, loss of blood and/or severing of limbs."Ghost Nets":A large number of marine creatures become trapped and killed in "ghost nets". These are pieces of gill nets which have been lost by fishing vessels. Other pieces of fishing equipment such as lobster pots may also keep trapping creatures.Marine Birds: World-wide, 75 marine bird species are known to eat plastic articles. This includes 36 species found off South Africa. A recent study of blue petrel chicks at South Africa's remote Marion Island showed that 90% of chicks examined had plastic in their stomachs apparently fed to them accidentally by their parents. South African seabirds are among the worst affected in the world. Plastics may remain in the stomachs, blocking digestion and possibly causing starvation. As particular species seem to be badly affected this may be a threat to whole populations of these birds.The problem of plastic pollution is serious and requires further urgent study.Immediate action is also required such as :(1)Ban the use of plastic bagsIf the supermarkets provide plastic bags to consumers in San Francisco, they will be fined.This can reduce the quantity of plastic bags, which can solve the problem from the source. It also meet the 3R principle.(2) Higher fees on plastic bagsThe supermarkets charge their customers 0.3 euros for each disposable plastic bag in Belg-ium, of which 0.1 euro for the cost of fees, 0.2 euros for environmental tax. In china, we also should pay for the plastic bags from last year.(3)Reward customers using the old shopping bagsWe can provide customers with incentives for re-using the old shopping bags. Besides, we can also encourages the manufa-cturers to develop more environmentally friendly shopping bags. (4)Use of alternative biodegradable productsWe should established legislations to require the supermarkets and other retail shops use biodegradable plastic bags instead of non-biodegradable plastic bags. We can use the by-products of corns as raw materials to produce plastic bags.(5)Resource conversion of waste plasticsSome renewable plastic products can be recycled and directly used as materials, then made intonew plastic products. Some waste plastics can be prepared for fuel oil.Take Polyethylene as an example, polypropylene can break down into low molecular weight hydrocarbons at high temperatures, and then be fractionated, we can get all kinds of fuel oil. (6)Education and propagandaThe government should strengthen publicit y and education to raise the people’s aware-ness of environmental protection, minimize the use of disposable plastic packaging products and develop the habit of not litter-ing everywhere.China solve white pollutionIn china ,many cities have taken measures to curb white pollution.In September 1995, Hangzhou became the first city to stop using disposable foam boxes. Subsequently, a series of cities and provinces followed suit, taking similar action.Since Jan. 1999, the State Economic and Trade Commission has passed a couple of policies to outlaw the manufacture, use and sale of foam boxes.In Beijing, a group of students are propagandize "Please use less plastic bags", some students of "reducing plastic bag coalition" are playing guitar, to attract everyone's attention.Reduction of the amount of plastic used in packaging which is usually immediately thrown away. Re-use of plastics should be encouraged.Plastic wrapping and bags should carry a warning label stating the dangers of plastic pollution, and shoppers should be encouraged to use their own bags, or recycled paper bags.Buy products with less Plastic packaging and tell store Personnel why you are doing so. Shoppers should use their own bags or recycled paper bags.Support recycling schemes and promote support for one in your local area.Fishermen throughout South Africa should not throw away waste line, net or plastic litter - this causes huge suffering and many deaths.Practice and promote proper disposal of plastics in your home and at the beach. Always remember that litter generates litter. Never dispose of plastics in the sewage system.At the beach dispose of plastics and other litter in the bins provided. If these facilities are inadequate, contact the local authority responsible and lodge a complaint. Take your litter back home with you if there are no receptacles on the beach. Pick up any plastic litter you may see on the beach or in rock pools in the vicinity in which you are sitting or walking. Encourage young children to do likewise.In the street never throw plastic or other litter out of your car or drop it on the pavement or in the gutter.Set an example to others and encourage them to help. Plastics are not themselves a problem. They are useful and popular materials which can be produced with relatively little damage to the environment. The problem is the excessive use of plastics in one-off applications together with careless disposal.。
