Where is the plastic going?
塑料都去哪儿了？
From local to national levels, governments have been encouraging, even demanding, their constituents to recycle, sort and manage their trash. In China, we have seen a huge roll-out of comprehensive trash sorting programs, with Shanghai boasting one of the strictest. At this point for a lot us, separating our recyclables from wet and dry trash has already become second nature.
不管是地方还是国家，政府一直在鼓励甚至要求公民回收、分类和管理垃圾。 在中国，我们看到大规模的综合垃圾分类计划，其中上海执行的是最严格的分类。 在上海的我们，潜意识会将可回收垃圾与干湿垃圾分开。
We previously covered the topic of how to recycle properly, briefing you on which items can be placed in the recycling bin and how to reduce recycling contamination. While China may have its own recycling facilities in place, many countries don’t or for them it is more cost-efficient to send recycling abroad to be processed.
In 2018, China, through the National Sword policy, began to restrict imports of plastic waste from many developed countries, including the US. Now, China has basically banned imports of plastic waste, leaving these countries scrambling to deal with a growing pile of waste. By 2030, an estimated 111 million metric tons of plastic waste will be displaced due to this regulation in China.
2018年，中国通过国家政策开始限制包括美国在内的许多发达国家的塑料废物进口。 现在，中国已基本禁止进口塑料垃圾，迫使其他国家自行处理越来越多的垃圾。 中国的这一规定估计将在2030年累计摆脱1.11亿公吨的塑料垃圾。
For the plastics that are unable to be exported abroad, some of it end up in landfills, while other parts are incinerated or sent to other countries. As China has refused plastic waste, part of it has been sent to Southeast Asia like Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. But these countries don’t necessarily have well-developed waste management systems that can handle large amounts of waste. Vietnam had to declare that its maximum capacity was reached and would not take any more imports. Compared to China, no one country has the capacity to deal with that size of plastic waste. In the US, governments have to make the difficult decision on how to get rid of the waste designated for recycling, by either paying higher fees which many local governments can’t afford or throwing everything away.
对于无法出口的塑料，其中一些最终被填埋，而其他则被焚烧或送到其他国家。 由于中国拒绝了塑料废物，因此其中的一部分已被送到马来西亚，泰国和越南等东南亚国家。 但是这些国家不一定拥有可以处理大量垃圾的完善的垃圾管理系统。 越南宣布已达到最大容量，并且不再接受任何进口。 与中国相比，没有一个国家有能力处理如此大量的塑料废物。 对美国政府来说，决定很艰难，如何处理可回收垃圾，要么支付许多地方政府负担不起的更高费用，要么扔掉。
Let’s go plastic-free!
让我们甩掉塑料吧！
While there are different strategies to tackle this problem of unaddressed plastic waste, one idea that has been actively pursued is plastic-free packaging. Less plastic used in the packaging, less plastic remaining after product use.
尽管有不同的策略来尝试解决塑料垃圾问题，但有一个想法是无塑料包装： 如果包装中使用的塑料少，那么产品使用后剩余的塑料也会减少。
Loop, the start-up that picks up your containers…
Loop, 是一个捡塑料容器的创业公司
Loop is a new project under TerraCycle aimed at bringing a closed-loop solution to the packaging market. TerraCycle is a leading social enterprise that works closely with business partners to find solutions for eliminating waste. They offer a range of recycling platforms and turn waste into new products, even for hard-to-recycle waste like juice boxes, plastic gloves or ocean plastic. They now have presence in 20 different countries.
Loop是TerraCycle旗下的一个新项目，旨在为包装市场带来一种闭环解决方案。 TerraCycle是一家领先的社会型企业，为了找到消除浪费的解决方案，他们与业务合作伙伴紧密合作，提供了一系列回收平台，将垃圾转化为新产品。回收垃圾范围广至用于难以回收的果汁罐，塑料手套或海洋塑料等。 他们现在在20个不同的国家或地区设有分支机构。
Loop’s proposition is simple: since it seems like recycling may not address the issue of plastic waste, why don’t we introduce a new model? Just like how milkmen used to deliver in the past, Loop wants to deliver products to your door and then pick up the empty container to be washed, refilled and prepared for the next delivery. In practice, shoppers can go online to order goods from the Loop website or a partner’s and then wait for the delivery to be made. A small deposit is paid for the package. This deposit is returned or credited back when the package container is returned to a special pickup tote or a retailer. The containers are then thoroughly washed and reused. TerraCycle as the online retailer handles the whole process, from sale to cleaning to reuse. Loop has already been rolled out in France and New York.
Loop的主张很简单：既然回收似乎无法解决塑料垃圾的问题，为什么我们不引入一种新模型呢？ 就像过去送牛奶的人过去一样，Loop希望将产品运送到您家门口，然后回收空瓶清洗，再重新装满。 购物者可以在Loop网站或其合作伙伴的网站订购商品，然后等待交货。 您需为包裹支付少量押金。 当包装容器退还时，这笔押金将退回，然后供应商将容器彻底清洗并重新使用。 作为在线零售商，TerraCycle负责从销售到清洁再利用的整个过程。 Loop现已在法国和纽约推出。
Loop made a big splash by making its announcement at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in January of 2019. It has several famous big names on board already, with the likes of Procter & Gamble, Nestle, PepsiCo and Unilever all ready to try out the new business venture. For TerraCycle, Loop is the natural next step to further its mission of tackling waste through circular solutions. Loop wants to demonstrate that reusable packaging is both attractive and convenient.
2019年1月，在瑞士达沃斯举行的世界经济论坛上Loop的宣布引起了轰动。数家知名大公司，宝洁，雀巢，百事可乐和联合利华等公司都准备尝试与这个新的企业合作。 对于TerraCycle而言，Loop是通过循环解决方案进一步解决垃圾任务的未来。 Loop希望证明可重复使用的包装既有趣又方便。
Ecologic Brands, turning used paper into more sustainable bottles
生态品牌，将废纸变成更环保的瓶子
Not convinced about reusable packaging? Ecologic Brands based in California, USA transforms recycled paper into durable bottles and containers. They have their own team of engineers, scientists and designers dedicated to optimizing the use of recycled paper materials by offering uniquely designed containers for all types of products. With partners in Asia, Europe and Canada, the brand is ready to work with businesses globally to make packaging more sustainable.
不相信包装可重复使用？总部位于美国加州的“生态品牌”将再生纸转变为耐用的瓶子和容器。 他们拥有自己的工程师、科学家和设计师团队，致力于通过为各种产品提供独特设计的容器来优化回收纸材料的使用。 品牌已准备好与全球企业合作，使包装更具可持续性。
Ecologic has been making waves through their molded paper bottles, where the outer shell is made from 100% recycled cardboard and newspaper. A thin inner pouch completes the bottle, using 70% less plastic than normal plastic bottles and made from post-consumer plastic wherever possible. This outer shell is designed to be composted or recycled with paper, while the pouch is recycled like LDPE or plastic type #4. Their bottles can be used for personal care, wine & spirits, food powder, pet care and also home care products.
Ecologic一直在通过模制纸瓶制造时尚，外表由100％可回收纸板和报纸制成。 较薄的内袋使瓶子更完整，使用的塑料比普通塑料瓶少70％，并且尽可能使用已回收过的塑料制成。 该外部设计为可堆肥或用纸回收，而小袋则像LDPE或4号塑料一样被回收。 他们的瓶子可用于个人护理、葡萄酒和洋酒，食品粉类、宠物护理以及家庭护理产品。
Why did this snazzy startup choose paper? According to the Environmental Protection Agency, less than 10% of plastic actually makes it through the recycling process while about 90% of fiber-based paper products are recycled. Recycled cardboard like old corrugated cardboard and old newspaper are pulped through world class molded fiber technology and transformed into paper bottle shells. Ecologic uses the Box to Bottle™ closed loop business and manufacturing model for its bottles. This optimized supply chain allows for quick repurposing into value-added paper bottles.
为什么这个时髦的初创公司选择纸张？ 根据环境保护署的数据，实际上只有不到10％的塑料是通过回收过程制造的，而大约90％的纤维基纸制品是经过回收的。 通过世界一流的模制纤维技术将诸如旧瓦楞纸板和旧报纸之类的回收纸板制浆，并转化为纸瓶壳。 Ecologic在生产的瓶子上使用Box to Bottle™闭环业务和制造模型。 这种优化的供应链可以快速将其定位到增值纸瓶中。
Although the plastic waste situation continues to be an alarming problem for both developed and developing countries, there are people who have been taking action to tackle the waste problem. We hope to see more innovative sustainable packaging in the near future and looking forward to being part of closing the loop.
尽管塑料垃圾的状况对于发达国家和发展中国家而言仍然是一个令人震惊的问题，但仍有人在采取行动解决垃圾问题。 我们希望在不久的将来看到更多创新的环保包装，并希望成为闭环的一部分。
April is Earth Month at Zero Waste Shanghai!! Keep an eye out on our social media channels to stay updated with all our cool and earth-friendly activities this month.
四月是零浪费的地球月！ 请密切注意我们的社交媒体，以随时了解本月所有有趣环保的活动。
Source 参考:
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/03/china-has-stopped-accepting-our-trash/584131/
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