Ngaphambi Kwesikhathi Sethu? Cha, Ukukuyisa Kwizinga Elilandelayo

Ukuletha ukuklama kabusha ukuze kusetshenziswe kabusha kungxoxo yokungcoliswa kwepulasitiki

Thina siyi-The Ocean Foundation siwushayela ihlombe umbiko wakamuva othi #breakfreefromplastic Movement ishicilelwe ngoJuni 2021, “Ukulahlekelwa Uphawu: Kwembula izixazululo ezingamanga zebhizinisi enkingeni yokungcoliswa kwepulasitiki”.  

Futhi nakuba sisasekela ngokujwayelekile imizamo yokufuna ukulawula imfucumfucu yepulasitiki kakade emabhishi ethu nasolwandle lwethu - okuhlanganisa ukubhekana nokuphathwa kwemfucuza nokugaywa kabusha kanye nokukhuthaza ukuncishiswa kokusetshenziswa kwepulasitiki yabathengi - kufanelekile ukuhlola ukuthi ingabe ezinye izindlela ezithathwa yizinkampani ezihlangene, izinkampani nezingenzi-nzuzo ngempela "kuyizixazululo zamanga".

Ngaphezu kuka-90% wawo wonke amapulasitiki awagaywa kabusha, noma awakwazi ukugaywa kabusha. Iyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu futhi ivamise ukwenziwa ngezifiso kakhulu ukuthi ingakwazi ukufaka isandla emnothweni oyindilinga. Abakhiqizi baxuba ama-polymers (afika ngenqwaba yezinto ezakhiwe), izithasiselo (njengama-flame retardants), ama-colorants, okokunamathelisa kanye nezinye izinto zokwakha imikhiqizo nezinhlelo zokusebenza ezihlukene, noma ukufaka amalebula okukhangisa. Lokhu kuye kwaholela enkingeni yokungcoliswa kwepulasitiki esibhekene nayo namuhla, futhi inkinga izoba yimbi kakhulu, ngaphandle kwalapho sihlelela ikusasa lethu kusenesikhathi. 

Eminyakeni embalwa edlule, i-The Ocean Foundation's Ukuklama kabusha iPlastiki Initiative ubephakamisa ifulegi ukuze abone ucezu olungekho lwenselelo yethu yomhlaba wonke yokungcoliswa kwepulasitiki: Singayishintsha kanjani indlela amapulasitiki enziwe ngayo kwasekuqaleni? Singayithonya kanjani i-polymer chemistry ukuthi iklanywe kabusha ukuze isetshenziswe kabusha? Ngokuklama kabusha, sikhomba kuma-polymers ngokwawo - amabhlogo wokwakha wemikhiqizo yepulasitiki iningi lethu eliyisebenzisayo empilweni yansuku zonke.

Izingxoxo zethu nalabo abangaba abahle, abangenzi inzuzo kanye nozakwethu bezinkampani zibonise ngokuphelele izingqinamba ezimbili ezibalulekile eziphakanyiswe kulo mbiko oyisiqalo:

1. “Ukuntuleka kwesifiso sokuvelela kanye nokubeka phambili ezinye izindlela zokulethwa kwemikhiqizo ezingeni le-systemic elingavumela ukuncishiswa okuphawulekayo kokusetshenziswa kwepulasitiki eyodwa; futhi  
2. Ukuchichima kokutshalwa kwezimali kanye nokubeka phambili izisombululo ezingamanga okuvumela izinkampani ukuthi ziqhubeke nokuthembela kwebhizinisi njengokujwayelekile ekufakweni kwepulasitiki okusetshenziswa kanye. ”

Ngethu Ukuklama kabusha iPlastiki Initiative, sizophishekela umthetho kazwelonke onolwazi lwesayensi emazweni akhiqiza ipulasitiki ukuze sidinge ukwakhiwa kabusha kwekhemistri yepulasitiki ngokwayo, ukuklanywa kabusha kwemikhiqizo yepulasitiki kanye nokukhawulela okwenziwa ngepulasitiki. Isinyathelo sethu sizosusa le mboni isuke ku-Complex, Customized and Contaminating ukuze yenze ipulasitiki iphephe, ibelula futhi ibe sezingeni.

Cishe kuzo zonke izingxoxo nomuntu ongase abe uzakwethu, indlela yethu iye yaqinisekiswa njengendlela yangempela yokuthonya ushintsho lwesistimu.

Kodwa engxoxweni efanayo, sithola ukusabela okujwayelekile kokuthi singaphambi kwesikhathi sethu. Umphakathi wezinkampani kanye nabathile abasiza umphakathi batshala imali ekuhlanzeni nasekulawuleni imfucuza - izixazululo ezisusa umthwalo ukuze ugxile ekuziphatheni kwabathengi kanye nokwehluleka kokulawulwa kwemfucuza kamasipala; futhi kude nabenzi bemikhiqizo yepulasitiki. Lokho kufana nokusola abashayeli namadolobha kunezinkampani zikawoyela nabakhiqizi bezimoto ngokukhipha isikhutha.  

Ngakho-ke ezinye izingxenye zomphakathi we-NGO zisemalungelweni azo ngokugcwele okucela kuvalwe ngokuqondile ukukhiqizwa kanye nokusetshenziswa kwepulasitiki esetshenziswa kanye - sesisize nokubhala eminye yaleyo mithetho. Ngoba, ngemva kwakho konke, ukuvimbela kuyikhambi elingcono kakhulu. Siyaqiniseka ukuthi singakuyisa phambili lokhu kuvimbela, futhi siye ngqo kulokho esikukhiqizayo nokuthi kungani. Sikholelwa ukuthi ukwakhiwa kabusha kwe-polymer akunzima kakhulu, akukude kakhulu esikhathini esizayo, futhi empeleni yilokho amakhasimende akufunayo kanye nemiphakathi edinga ukwenza ipulasitiki ibe yingxenye yomnotho oyindilinga. Siyaziqhenya ngokuba phambili ekucabangeni kwesizukulwane esizayo ukubhekana nokungcoliswa kwepulasitiki.

Sicabanga ukuthi silungile ngesikhathi.

Uphuthelwe uMaka igqamisa ukuthi: “I-Procter & Gamble, i-Mondelez International, i-PepsiCo, i-Mars, Inc., i-Coca-Cola Company, i-Nestlé kanye ne-Unilever ngayinye ihlezi esihlalweni somshayeli ngezinqumo eziholela emaphaketheni epulasitiki abawafaka emakethe. Amamodeli amabhizinisi alezi zinkampani, kanye nozakwabo kuwo wonke umkhakha wezimpahla ezipakishwayo, aphakathi kwezimbangela kanye nezimbangela zokungcoliswa kwepulasitiki… Sekukonke, lezi zinkampani eziyisikhombisa zenza imali engaphezu kwezigidigidi ezingama-$370 ngonyaka. Cabangela okungenzeka uma lezi zinkampani zibambisana ukuze ziqondise imali ezisombululweni zangempela, ezifakazelwe esikhundleni sokumosha imali yazo ngemikhankaso yokumaketha nezinye iziphazamiso. (Ikhasi 34)

Siyaqaphela ukuthi kunezicelo zepulasitiki ezinenani langempela emphakathini, nakuba ipulasitiki iyingozi ekwenziweni kwayo, ekusetshenzisweni nasekulahlweni kwayo. Sihlonza lokho kusetshenziswa okubaluleke kakhulu, okudingekayo futhi okuzuzisayo futhi sibuze ukuthi singayisungula kanjani kabusha ukuze iqhubeke nokusetshenziswa ngaphandle kokulimaza impilo yabantu neyemvelo.

Sizohlonza futhi sithuthukise isayensi yasekuqaleni.

Maduze nje, i-The Ocean Foundation igxile ekubekeni isisekelo sesayensi esingcono kakhulu sokwazisa umkhankaso wethu. Sifuna ngenkuthalo ubambiswano lwesayensi ukuze kufezeke izixazululo ezilandelayo. Ngokuhlanganyela nabakhi bezinqubomgomo, ososayensi, kanye nemboni, singakwazi:

UZINJINI KABUSHA ikhemikhali yepulasitiki yokunciphisa inkimbinkimbi nobuthi-ukwenza ipulasitiki ibe lula futhi iphephe. Imikhiqizo ehlukahlukene yepulasitiki noma izinto ezisetshenziswayo zingenisa amakhemikhali ekudleni noma esiphuzweni lapho echayeke ekushiseni noma kubanda, kuthinta abantu, izilwane futhi mhlawumbe nempilo yezitshalo (cabanga ngokunuka ipulasitiki ekhishwa igesi emotweni eshisayo). Ngaphezu kwalokho, ipulasitiki yaziwa ngokuthi "iyanamathela" futhi ingaba i-vector yezinye izinto ezinobuthi, amagciwane kanye namagciwane. Futhi, ucwaningo olusha luphakamisa ukuthi amagciwane angase adluliselwe olwandle ngokungcoliswa kwepulasitiki ngendlela yamabhodlela antantayo nemfucumfucu yasolwandle.

KALA KABUSHA imikhiqizo yepulasitiki ukunciphisa ukwenza ngokwezifiso-ukwenza ipulasitiki ifane futhi ibe lula. Ngaphezu kuka-90% wawo wonke amapulasitiki awagaywa kabusha noma awakwazi ukugaywa kabusha. Iyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu futhi ivamise ukwenziwa ngezifiso kakhulu ukuthi ingakwazi ukufaka isandla emnothweni oyindilinga. Abakhiqizi baxuba ama-polymer (afika ngezindlela eziningi), izithasiselo (njengama-flame retardants), ama-colorants, izinamatheliso nezinye izinto zokwakha imikhiqizo nezinhlelo zokusebenza ezahlukahlukene, noma ukufaka amalebula okukhangisa. Lokhu kuvame ukusho ukuthi imikhiqizo yenziwe ngezendlalelo ezihlukene zefilimu yepulasitiki ephendula imikhiqizo engaphinda igaywe ibe izinto ezingcolisayo ezingasetshenziswa kanyekanye. Lezi zithako nezingqimba azikwazi ukuhlukaniswa kalula.

CABANGA KABUSHA esikwenzayo ngepulasitiki ngokukhetha ukukhawulela ukukhiqizwa kwepulasitiki kuphela ekusetshenzisweni kwakho okuphezulu nokungcono kakhulu—ukwenza iluphu evaliwe ibe khona ngokuphinda kusetshenziswe izinto zokusetshenziswa ezifanayo. Umthetho uzoveza uhlu lwezigaba olukhomba (1) ukusetshenziswa okubaluleke kakhulu, okudingekayo, futhi okuzuzisa umphakathi lapho ipulasitiki imele isixazululo esiphephe kunazo zonke, esifaneleka kakhulu esinezinzuzo zesikhathi esiseduze nezesikhathi eside; (2) amapulasitiki anezinye izinto ezitholakala kalula (noma eziklanywe kalula noma eziklamayo) esikhundleni sepulasitiki engase ithathelwe indawo noma egwenywe; kanye (3) nepulasitiki engasho lutho noma engadingekile okufanele iqedwe.

Inkinga yemfucuza yepulasitiki yanda kuphela. Futhi nakuba ukuphathwa kukadoti kanye namaqhinga ancishisiwe okusetshenziswa kwepulasitiki kuyizixazululo ezinenhloso enhle, azilungile neze ukushaya uphawu ekubhekaneni nodaba olukhulu noluyinkimbinkimbi. Ipulasitiki njengoba injalo ayiklanyelwe ukusebenziseka kabusha okuphezulu kakhulu - kodwa ngokusebenzisana nokuqondisa izimali ekuklameni kabusha amapulasitiki, singaqhubeka nokusebenzisa imikhiqizo esiyazisayo futhi esithembele kuyo ngezindlela eziphephile nezisimeme.