Page 50 - Plastics News July 2019
P. 50

iNterNAtioNAL News



          UK festival plastic bottle deposit                     Shanghai implements strict

          return scheme trial set to launch                      regulations on SWM


             orwegian multinational recycling solutions corporation   hanghai entered a new era of compulsory garbage
          NTOMRA has partnered with UK retailer Co-op to  Ssorting and  has implemented strict regulations on
          improve  festival  sustainability  by  launching  a  deposit-  solid waste management effective July 01,2019.  With
          return scheme (DRS) trial with reverse vending machines   a set of regulations coming into force, individuals,
          at Co-op pop-up stores at seven major UK music festivals   businesses and institutions in the city are ordered to
          this summer. The DRS trial already saw machines installed   sort garbage into four separate bins. Anyone who fails to
          at  Download  and  Isle  of  Wight  festivals  last  month.   do so could face fines. Individuals may be fined anything
          The reverse vending machines will now be available at   from 50 to 200 yuan (one yuan converts to roughly Rs
                                         Latitude festival in    10) for not complying with the new waste management
                                         July and Creamfields,   policy, while enterprises can be fined up to 5,000 yuan
                                         Belladrum,  Reading     for failing to have the right trash bins in place. A five-
                                         and Leeds festivals in   star hotel in Shanghai was the first to receive a warning
                                         August.To participate   for violating the city’s new domestic garbage sorting
                                         in the trial, festival-  regulations that came into effect. Shanghai issued 623
                                         goers pay a mandatory   notices for rectification to institutions and companies
                                         10p deposit when        who failed to sort their garbage accurately. According to
                                         they purchase plastic   the new set of rules the city is promoting a mandatory
                                         bottles of up to two    garbage sorting system, which requires residents to
                                         litres in size at Co-   throw  away  garbage  at  a  fixed  time  and  place.  For
                                         op  pop-up  stores.     every 300 to 500 households, there is a designated
          Customers can then use the machines, located in a      garbage disposal site where volunteers carefully check
          recycling  room  within  the  pop-ups,  to  return  empty   whether the household waste is accurately classified.
          bottles for recycling.Customers will get their deposit   Domestic waste is required to be classified into four
          back in the form of a voucher to spend in the on-site   categories: dry refuse, wet trash, recyclable waste
          stores. They can alternatively choose to donate their 10p   and hazardous waste. Individuals who fail to sort
          deposit to UK-based independent environmental charity   garbage and decline to rectify can be fined up to 200
          Keep Britain Tidy, with any surplus deposits also being
          donated. The reverse vending machines accept deposits
          of plastic bottles, whether bought from Co-op or not.DRS
          schemes continue to be an important recycling topic for
          the  UK  Government.  Recently,  Westminster  completed
          its consultation period on how a UK-wide DRS might
          look and the Scottish Government introduced a DRS to
          collect a £0.20 surcharge from customers buying drinks
          packed in aluminium and steel cans, as well as bottles
          made of glass and PET plastic.Plastics recycling charity
          RECOUP’s recent Deposit Return Schemes in Action case   yuan (29 U.S. dollars), and businesses and institutions
          study revealed that if DRS were introduced in the UK, the   could be fined up to 50,000 yuan. Shanghai will further
          collection and recycling of non-drinks packaging would   strengthen supervision of the public environment and
          need to be transformed to meet future circular economy   strive to eliminate violations of laws and regulations
          goals. TOMRA managing director Truls Haug said: “Ahead of   in the process of household garbage sorting," said Deng
          the formal introduction of a DRS in Scotland and the rest   Jianping, director of the Shanghai Landscaping and City
          of the UK, this represents a great opportunity for music   Appearance Administrative Bureau. China is building
          fans to experience for themselves the ease and simplicity   household garbage processing systems in 46 pilot cities,
          of reverse vending and deposit return thereby promoting   including Beijing, Tianjin and Chongqing, and a further
          good recycling habits for the future.                  21.3 billion yuan will be invested in these facilities.


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