Ukugqwala kweplastiki

Ipulasitiki iyizinto eziwusizo kakhulu. Ilula, ibiza kakhulu, ingamanzi futhi ayikwazi ukulahleka, ngakho-ke sisebenzisana nayo yonke into kusuka ezinyangeni zokwelashwa kuya kumaphakethe aqinile, futhi ngenxa yalokho yenze kube yinkinga. Izinto ezifanayo ze-chemical bonds ezikwenza ibhodlela liqinile ziyenza ihlale iminyaka emikhulu uma ikhishwa. Umhlaba awunawo ama-enzyme athuthukisiwe ukuwadla ngokushesha.

Kungani i-plastic ihlala njalo

Iningi le-plastics yizinhlayiya ezide ze-carbon ne-hydrogen ezikhiqizwa nge-oil negesi. Ukukhanya kwelanga kanye namagagasi ashaya ama-plastics, kodwa akuba yinto engalimaza: ibhodlela lihlukaniswa libe ngama-fragments, ama-fragments e microplastics ancane kunamamilimitha amane, futhi la ma-nanoplastics ancane kakhulu ukuwabona. Ama-microplastics atholakala manje kusuka ezindongeni zesihlabathi esinzulu kuya eqhwa le-Arctic, ezinhlanzini, emanzini okudla kanye noshukela womntu.

Indlela efinyelela ngayo emfuleni

Ingxenye encane kuphela yepulasitiki emhlabeni iphinde ibuyiselwe. Ngokusho kwe-OECD, izwe likhiqize 460 million tons yepulasitiki ngo-2019 futhi wakhipha i-353 million tons. Izinga le-9 kuphela lalezi zilwane eziphilayo ezingenayo imvelo elisha; i-22% yazo yaphathwa kabi, okusho ukuthi yafakwa emgodini, yashiswa noma yalahleka endaweni. Amamfula yimizila: amapulasitiki awela ezweni ahlanzwa emapayipi, amapayipi ahlanzwa emalwandle namapayipi ahlanzwa emfuleni.

Imishini yokudoba inhle kakhulu. Izinsiza ezilahlekile nezilahliwe, ama-lines nama-traps agcina eqoqa izinhlanzi, izimvu, izilwane ezincane kanye nezinyoni zelwandle iminyaka, izinkinga ezibizwa ngokuthi ukudoba okungenzeka, futhi zihlanganisa inhlanganisela enkulu ye-plastic ehamba phambili emabhishi amakhulu.

Ukuvuselelwa kuyinsizakalo ekugcineni. Okuqala ukuthi awusebenzisi udoti.

Ingxenye engabonakali: izithako

Imikhiqizo yepulasitiki ivame ukuba yipolymer ehlanzekile. Abakhiqizi bafaka ama-plasticizers, ama-flame retardants, ama-colourants nama-stabilizers, futhi ezinye zalezi zinto zekhemikhali zingaphuma. Abanye, njenge-phthalates ne-bisphenols, bathinta ama-hormone futhi bavunyelwe ezindaweni eziningi. Isintshisekelo esigcwele solwazi lwemiphumela yabo ejwayelekile yosuku ngalunye siqhubeka nokukhula, okuyinto eyenza kube nzima ukuqaphela.

Imithetho encane eyenza ikhuphule kumthombo

Ubufakazi bukhombisa ukuthi izinyathelo ezithathwa * ngaphambi* kokuba ipulasitiki ibe yigugu:

1. Izilungiselelo zokusebenziseka kabili. Ukuvimbela nokukhokha ngebhegi elilodwa, izitsha kanye nemikhiqizo yokudla kusebenza ngokushesha: ukukhokhwa kwebheji ezindaweni eziningi kunciphisa ukusetshenziswa ngo-phesenti elingaphezu konyaka.
2. Yenza abakhiqizi bakhokhele. Izinhlelo ezibanzi zokwehlisa umthwalo wokukhiqiza zikhokhisa izinkampani ukuqoqwa nokuvuselelwa kabusha kwephakethe labo elithengisayo, okuzozikhuthaza ukuthi zisebenzise kancane futhi zithuthukise ukuguqulwa kabusha.
3. Imali yokukhokha ibuyiselwa. Ukukhokha imali encane ekhokhwayo kubhodlela kanye ne-can ngokuqinisekile yenza ukuqoqwa kwamaphesenti angama-90 noma ngaphezulu lapho kuqhutshwa kahle.
4. Kuqoqwe konke. Kubantu abazigidigidi asikho ukuqoqwa kwezinto ezilahlekile ngaso sonke isikhathi. Ukuthuthukiswa kohlelo lokuqoqa nokuhlukanisa impahla kuyisici esibalulekile sokuvimbela ipulasitiki efinyelela emfuleni.
5. A global treaty. United Nations member states have been negotiating a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution across the whole life cycle of plastic, from production to disposal.

Ungasiza kanjani

• Ukwenqaba, bese usebenzisa kabusha. Thola isiphuzo, ikhofi nebhokisi. I-plastic ephumelela kakhulu yileyo engazange yenziwe.
• Thenga ukhululekile futhi uphinde ugcwalise. Khetha izithelo nezithelo ezivulekile, gcwalisa kabusha amasitolo namamikhiqizo engilazini, insimbi noma iphepha lapho zikhona.
• Ungasebenzisi izinto ezingasetshenziswa kabusha: ama-trays epulasitiki amnyama, amaphakethe anezingqimba eziningi, i-polystyrene kanye nanoma yini ebhalwe ngokuthi ingasetshenziswa kabusha uma indawo yakho ayinayo imithombo yezolimo.
• Nquma ukuthi ungasebenzisa kanjani ama-microplastics ekhaya. Hlala izigqoko ezikhiqizwe ngezinto eziphilayo, ziqine futhi zipholile, bese ucabanga ngomshini wokuwasha; ungasebenzisi ama-cosmetics ane-microbeads ye-plastic.
• Thinda izithathu. Thola izingxenye ezintathu zezinto ezilahlekile ebhishi, epaki noma emfuleni ngaso sonke isikhathi lapho uvakashela khona. Kuyinto elinganayo.
• Umbuzo ovela edolobhaneni lakho nasezindaweni zakho zokudlela. Umbuzo ovela kuma-schemes wokukhokha, izimpuphu zamanzi ezitholakalayo futhi ukhetho lokugcwalisa kabusha. Buza ama-brand ukuthi ashicilele ukuthi bangakanani amaplastiki abawathengisayo nokuthi bangananini abawuqoqayo.
• Join us. Hlola ukuhumusha kwesichazamazwi noma hlela idatha yeplastiki yasendaweni ku contribution board.

Izinsizakusebenza

• OECD (2022), Imboni Yezinsimbi Zomhlaba Wonke: Izimoto Zezomnotho, Imiphumela Emvelo Nezindlela Zomthetho
• I-Borrelle et al. (2020), Ukukhula okulindelekile kwepulasitiki elahlekile kudlula izinhloso zokuvimbela ukukhishwa kwepulasitiki, Science 369
• I-Jambeck et al. (2015), Izinto ezisuka ezweni zisuka emfuleni ziye emkhathini, Science 347
• Iphrojekthi ye-NOAA Marine Debris, Marine debris
• UNEP, Ikomidi lokuxoxisana phakathi kwamaqembu ahlukene emphakathini mayelana nokugqwala kweplastiki