Experiences of resource recycling in various countries in the world
In today's global resource shortage and increasingly severe environmental problems, resource recycling has become a key measure to achieve sustainable development. With the population growth and economic development, the demand for resources is rising, and the environmental carrying capacity is under great pressure. Countries all over the world have actively explored and accumulated some experience in the field of resource recycling.
The global situation of the sharp increase of waste and the lag of treatment
With the development of modern civilization, the production of solid waste, electronic waste and plastic waste has increased sharply, which has a serious impact on the environment. For example, the report "Global E-waste Monitoring" released by United Nations agencies shows that the global e-waste production in 2022 increased by 82% compared with 2010, reaching a record 62 million tons, equivalent to 7.8 kilograms of e-waste produced by each person in the world every year. According to the report, the growth rate of e-waste production is much higher than that of recycling. In 2022, only 22.3% of the world's e-waste was properly collected and recycled. According to the current development trend, by 2030, it is estimated that the global e-waste production will increase by 33% compared with 2022, reaching 82 million tons, while the global e-waste recovery rate will drop to 20%.
Global resource waste and garbage generation bring many challenges. Excessive consumption of resources leads to serious shortage, and non-renewable resources are facing exhaustion. With the development of global economy and the growth of population, the demand for resources is increasing, and the limitation of resources makes it necessary for us to find a sustainable way to use resources. A large amount of garbage will pollute the environment, affect the ecological balance and threaten human survival and health. For example, mercury, a harmful substance, will harm the human brain and nervous system and aggravate the global pollution problem. Dealing with garbage will also consume money and energy, which will bring a heavy burden to economic development. It is estimated that the annual cost of garbage disposal in the world is as high as hundreds of billions of dollars, which not only occupies a lot of financial resources, but also causes secondary pollution to the environment.
Recycling of resources is imminent. It is the key way to solve the shortage of resources and environmental pollution, which can reduce the dependence on natural resources, improve utilization efficiency, reduce costs and reduce environmental pressure, and realize the coordinated development of economy and environment. From the perspective of resources, the earth's resources are limited, and human demand is increasing. If it is not recycled, it will face resource depletion. From the environmental point of view, it can change the pollution and destruction caused by the exploitation and utilization of traditional resources.
Recycling resources has many benefits. First of all, it can save energy and raw materials and reduce production costs. For example, recycling metals, paper and plastics can reduce the mining and processing of raw materials. It is estimated that each ton of recycled paper can save 17 trees, 26,000 liters of water and 4,000 kWh. Secondly, it can create employment opportunities and need a lot of labor in the fields of recycling, processing and remanufacturing. Globally, the resource recycling industry has created millions of jobs. In addition, it can promote technological innovation and industrial upgrading, and enterprises need to develop new technologies and processes to improve the recovery rate and quality. Finally, it can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions and deal with climate change. Recycling resources can reduce dependence on fossil fuels and reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
The practice of recycling resources in various countries in the world
Construct and improve the system of laws and regulations. Law is a solid guarantee for recycling resources, and many countries have formulated detailed and strict laws and regulations. Japan is relatively advanced in this field, and its core laws include Basic Law on the Formation and Promotion of Circular Society, Waste Disposal Law, Household Appliances Recycling Law, and Container Packaging Recycling Law. The data shows that the recycling rate of waste household appliances in Japan is over 80%, of which air conditioners are 82%, televisions are 80%-81% and refrigerators are 80%-82%. The EU's legal framework includes Circular Economy Action Plan, Waste Framework Directive and Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, while the United States focuses on the Law on Resource Protection and Recycling. Under the impetus of these laws, the resource recycling industry is standardized, and waste classification and recycling are integrated into daily life, which greatly improves the efficiency of resource utilization.
Create a comprehensive and efficient recycling system. Constructing a perfect recycling system is the basis of resource recycling. The extended producer responsibility system (EPR) is widely implemented in the European Union, which requires manufacturers to be responsible for the environmental impact of their product life cycle, especially waste management. The system covers a variety of products such as electronic waste, packaging waste, used vehicles, tires, etc., and manufacturers have to bear the costs of recovery, treatment and regeneration. Under the guidance of this principle, most EU countries have established detailed garbage sorting systems to help families and enterprises effectively separate recyclable materials and improve resource utilization efficiency. For example, Eurostat data show that the overall waste recovery rate in Germany is about 67%, the packaging waste recovery rate is over 71%, the urban waste recovery rate in Germany is 66.1%, and the accuracy of German waste classification is over 90%.
Vigorously develop circular economy industry. Developing circular economy industry is the core link of resource recycling. The experience of Kitakyushu in Japan is typical. As the first eco-city in Japan, Kitakyushu has realized the transformation from a heavily polluted industrial city to an environmental protection demonstration city by relying on the concepts of industrial symbiosis and waste recycling. Kitakyushu Eco-industrial Park realizes waste minimization through resource sharing and waste exchange among enterprises. For example, steel waste residue is provided to cement plants as raw materials, and waste heat is used for residents' energy supply. In terms of waste recycling, the home appliance recycling center dismantled and reused electrical appliances, and put plastics and metals into production again to make new products. The case of Kitakyushu shows that circular economy is not only an effective way to solve environmental pollution, but also a new driving force to promote economic development.
Actively promote technological innovation. Technological innovation is the key driving force of resource recycling. While recycling waste, Europe develops advanced technologies for treatment and resource regeneration, which improves the recycling efficiency and promotes the development of recycled materials market. The United States has invested heavily in the research and development of resource recycling technology, especially in the field of electronic waste recycling. Some enterprises in the United States can efficiently extract precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum from electronic waste through advanced chemical treatment and physical separation technology, and at the same time separate other useful materials such as copper, aluminum and plastic. According to research, the recovery rate of some electronic waste recycling enterprises in the United States has exceeded 70%, effectively reducing environmental pollution.
Global experience and enlightenment of multi-factor synergy
Policies and regulations play a key role in regulating and guiding the recycling of resources. A perfect system of policies and regulations can clearly define the respective responsibilities and obligations of the government, enterprises and the public, provide solid legal protection for all aspects of resource recycling, ensure the legality and standardization of all parties' actions, and guide the development direction of recycling resources. For example, it is an effective means to promote the recycling of resources by establishing an extended producer responsibility system through legislation, urging producers to be responsible for the environmental impact of their products throughout their life cycle, and urging manufacturers to bear the related expenses of product recovery, treatment and regeneration. At the same time, a reasonable incentive mechanism has also promoted the active participation of all parties. For example, enterprises and individuals are encouraged to actively participate in resource recycling by adopting measures such as subsidies, tax relief and green credit.
An efficient recycling system is the basis for recycling resources. This system usually includes scientific waste classification system, perfect recycling infrastructure and smooth recycling channels. Reasonable classification system enables families and enterprises to effectively separate recyclable materials from other wastes, which helps to simplify the subsequent treatment process and improve the efficiency of resource utilization. Advanced recycling facilities and technologies are the core elements to ensure efficient recycling and environmental protection. With the rapid development of information technology, using modern technologies such as big data and Internet of Things to manage the recycling process has become an effective means to improve recycling efficiency. For example, intelligent garbage sorting APP can enhance public participation, and real-time data monitoring can help optimize resource allocation. In addition, it is also an indispensable part to improve the recycling efficiency by establishing an efficient logistics network to ensure that the recycled materials are delivered to the processing center quickly and accurately.
The development of circular economy industry is the driving force of resource recycling. By converting wastes into reusable resources, circular economy industry not only reduces dependence on primary resources, but also creates new economic growth points. The industrial activities under this model have been integrated into the consideration of the whole product life cycle since the design stage, and strive to save resources and protect the environment to the maximum extent at every stage of production, use and even abandonment. By providing preferential policies and financial support, the government can encourage enterprises to invest in circular economy industries, promote inter-industry cooperation and form a virtuous circle of industrial chains. For example, the construction of eco-industrial parks will bring enterprises from different industries together and promote the close connection between the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain through resource sharing and recycling. This not only effectively reduces environmental pollution, but also creates new employment opportunities and economic growth points, and promotes the sustainable development of economy and environment.
Continuous technological innovation is the pillar of resource recycling. The progress of technology, especially the continuous innovation of recycling technology, directly determines the efficiency and effect of resource recycling. From improving the classification accuracy of waste to optimizing the recycling process, technological innovation has always been the core driving force to promote the continuous development of this field. To this end, the government needs to increase investment in technology research and development, encourage scientific research institutions and enterprises to cooperate and innovate, cultivate and attract high-quality professional and technical personnel, and actively introduce and apply the latest technological achievements to maintain technological leadership. In addition, the government can promote information sharing and technology promotion by building a public technology service platform, thus effectively improving the technical level of the whole industry. This collaborative innovation mechanism not only helps to accelerate technological progress, but also promotes the high-quality development of resource recycling industry.
Source: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/OOceKQGz382mbjqjtwiS1A