Uhulumeni wase-UK umemezela ukuvalwa kwezindwangu zepulasitiki

 

Uhulumeni waseBrithani muva nje wenze isimemezelo esibalulekile mayelana nokusetshenziswa kwama-wet wipes, ikakhulukazi lawo aqukethe ipulasitiki. Lo mthetho, ohloselwe ukuvimbela ukusetshenziswa kwama-plastic wipes, uvela njengempendulo ekukhathazekeni okukhulayo mayelana nemiphumela yezemvelo nezempilo yale mikhiqizo. Ama-wet wipes noma ama-baby wipes, abe yisinqumo esithandwayo ngezinjongo zokuhlanzeka komuntu siqu kanye nokuhlanza. Kodwa-ke, ukwakheka kwawo kuphakamise ama-alamu ngenxa yomonakalo ongaba khona empilweni yabantu kanye nasemvelweni.

Ama-wipe epulasitiki ayaziwa ngokuhlukana ngokuhamba kwesikhathi abe ama-microplastic, okuye kwahlotshaniswa nemiphumela emibi empilweni yabantu kanye nokuphazamiseka kwezindawo zemvelo. Ucwaningo lukhombisile ukuthi la ma-microplastic anganqwabelana emvelweni, kanti inhlolovo yakamuva iveze isilinganiso sama-wipe angu-20 atholakala ngamamitha ayi-100 emabhishi ahlukahlukene ase-UK. Uma esesendaweni yamanzi, ama-wipe aqukethe ipulasitiki angase anqwabelane nokungcola kwezinto eziphilayo kanye namakhemikhali, okubeka ingozi yokuchayeka ezilwaneni nakubantu. Lokhu kunqwabelana kwama-microplastic akugcini nje ngokuphazamisa indawo zemvelo kodwa futhi kwandisa ingozi yokungcola ezindaweni zokwelashwa kwamanzi angcolile futhi kunegalelo ekonakaleni kwamabhishi kanye nemisele yamanzi angcolile.

Ukuvinjelwa kwama-wipe aqukethe ipulasitiki kuhloswe ngakho ukunciphisa ukungcola kwepulasitiki kanye ne-microplastic, ekugcineni kuzuzise kokubili imvelo kanye nempilo yomphakathi. Abenzi bomthetho bathi ngokuvimbela ukusetshenziswa kwala ma-wipe, inani lama-microplastic agcina esezindaweni zokuhlanza amanzi angcolile ngenxa yokulahla ngephutha lizoncishiswa kakhulu. Lokhu, nakho, kuzoba nomthelela omuhle emabhishi nasezindaweni zokulahla indle, kusize ekulondolozeni lezi zindawo zemvelo zezizukulwane ezizayo.

I-European Nonwovens Association (EDANA) iveze ukusekela kwayo umthetho, iqaphela imizamo eyenziwe yimboni yama-wipes yase-UK yokunciphisa ukusetshenziswa kwepulasitiki kuma-wipes asekhaya. Le nhlangano igcizelele ukubaluleka kokushintshela kuma-wipes asekhaya angenapulasitiki futhi iveze ukuzibophezela kwayo ekusebenzisaneni nohulumeni ukuze kuqaliswe futhi kuqhutshekwe phambili lolu hlelo.

Ngenxa yokuvinjelwa, izinkampani embonini yama-wipes bezilokhu zihlola ezinye izinto zokwakha kanye nezindlela zokukhiqiza. Isibonelo, uhlobo lwe-Neutrogena lukaJohnson & Johnson lubambisene nohlobo lwe-Veocel fiber lukaLenzing ukuguqula ama-wipes alo okususa izimonyo abe yi-fiber esekelwe ezitshalweni engu-100%. Ngokusebenzisa ama-fibre anophawu lwe-Veocel enziwe ngokhuni oluvuselelekayo, oluvela emahlathini aphethwe ngendlela eqhubekayo futhi aqinisekisiwe, ama-wipes enkampani manje asengaba ngumquba ekhaya zingakapheli izinsuku ezingu-35, okunciphisa ngempumelelo imfucuza egcina isendaweni yokulahla udoti.

Ukushintshela kwezinye izindlela ezisimeme kakhulu nezinobungani nemvelo kubonisa ukuqwashisa okwandayo ngesidingo sokubhekana nomthelela wemvelo wemikhiqizo yabathengi. Njengoba kuvinjelwe ama-wipes epulasitiki, kunethuba lokuthi imboni yama-wipes isungule futhi ithuthukise imikhiqizo engagcini nje ngokusebenza kahle kodwa futhi enesibopho semvelo. Ngokwamukela izinto zokwakha ezisimeme kanye nezinqubo zokukhiqiza, izinkampani zingaba negalelo ekunciphiseni ukungcola kwepulasitiki nokukhuthaza ikusasa elinempilo nelisimeme.

Ekuphetheni, isinqumo sikahulumeni waseBrithani sokuvimbela ama-wipe aqukethe ipulasitiki sibonisa isinyathelo esibalulekile ekubhekaneni nezinkinga zemvelo nezempilo ezihambisana nale mikhiqizo. Lesi sinyathelo sithole ukwesekwa ezinhlanganweni zezimboni futhi sishukumisele izinkampani ukuthi zihlole ezinye izindlela eziqhubekayo. Njengoba imboni yama-wipe iqhubeka nokuthuthuka, kunethuba elikhulayo lokubeka phambili ukusimama kwemvelo nokunikeza abathengi imikhiqizo ehambisana namanani abo. Ekugcineni, ukuvinjelwa kwama-wipe epulasitiki kumelela isinyathelo esihle sokunciphisa ukungcola kwepulasitiki nokukhuthaza indawo ehlanzekile nenempilo kubo bonke.