英国小镇“禁塑令”一周年记
汉娜•普尔
2008年5月2日
去年5月1日，英格兰西南部的莫德伯里成为欧洲第一个禁止塑料袋的城镇。一年过去了，这里的消费者和商家的生活有什么变化，居民们的下一个目标又是什么呢？汉娜•普尔报道。
Carried away with pride
Hannah Pool
May 02, 2008
A year after Modbury in southwestern England became the first town in Europe to ban plastic bags, Hannah Pool pays a visit to see how life has changed for shoppers and traders. What will the residents target next?
参与讨论 COMMENTS
参与讨论
我有个问题，薯片的袋子也是塑料袋，而且是一次性的，这该被禁止吗？
——Loyi,Nanjing
I wonder if the plastic bags containing potato chips should be banned though they are disposable. Loyi,Nanjing
现在人们还只关注塑料购物袋，是因为塑料购物袋像是包装外面的包装，有的时候是可有可无的，有时候是有替代品可以选择的。这部分急需解决的问题恰好比较好解决，比如可以重复使用的布袋，或者可以生物降解的玉米淀粉袋。假设我们要禁止薯片包装袋，那一定要有可替代品或者考虑塑料回收再生。
禁止这种行政办法也不是控制塑料生产消费的唯一手段，比如爱尔兰从2002年开始实行的PlasTax计划，用征税的办法从经济上控制了塑料购物袋问题。
ZC, New York
Up to now plastic shopping bags are the focus of attention, as they are for containing packaged goods. In some cases shoppers can do without them, while in others there are alternative options available. The most urgent aspect of the problem happens to be the easiest to resolve. We can use reusable cloth bags to replace them, or turn to degradable corn starch bag as a substitute. As for potato packages, if they are to be banned, there should be replacement available or plastic recycle system in place. Besides, administrative ban is not the only method to control the manufacture and consumption of plastic goods. For example, the Irish Plas Tax scheme that came into effect in 2002 solved the problem of plastic shopping bags through taxation.
任何事物的存在都有其必然的道理，就好比塑料袋好比塑料水瓶。为了保护环境，我不反对减少塑料袋的使用，但仅仅只是这样是不够的。正如文中所提，革命性的行动会带来更多的连锁反应。真的普及使用了纸制品，为了少使用一个塑料袋而牺牲一棵树也是划不来的。（夸张了点）
所以，我认为不如花点时间和精力研究开发：如何使塑料制品在回收后变得无污染以及制定如何使塑料制品能做到回收最大化、效率最优化的策略来的更有益处。
-- Hugh,Shanghai
Every existant thing has a cause. Plastic bags and bottles are no exceptions. I'm not opposed to controling the use of plastic bags for the sake of environmental protection, but that's far from enough. Radical measures will trigger a chain of responses, as pointed out by the author. As a potential substitute, paper products come at the expense of forest. So I think we should invest more time and efforts in fields including researching and developing plastic products that can be recycled without pollution, and how to maximise the recycle rate and efficency of plastic products.
在面对气候变化以及环境质量下降这一问题中为了适应我们的想法和行动，我们可以用一种新的关于美的观点。比如，有些人认为风力涡轮机是难看的，它们是在风景中划上伤痕并且埋葬风景如画的美景。我却不这么认为。我们需要把这些涡轮机当作是美妙的绿色机器。它们当然比塑料袋要美的多，那些塑料袋被树枝缠住，漂浮在河里海上，缠绕在那些无辜的动物的脖子上腿上或是堵塞了下水管道系统。至少，我们都需要意识到我们如何处理那些塑料垃圾。这有很多类型的（主要是）基于石油的环境威胁以至于连回收公司都不愿意接收所有类型的塑料垃圾。这是全世界城市以及乡镇的人们可能的破坏活动之一。许多当地政府急于提升他们的回收速率，他们将支持这场战役。——马修
In adjusting our thinking and behaviour in the face of climate change and environmental degradation, we could use a new perception of beauty. For example, some people think that wind-power turbines are ugly and that they scar the landscape and ruin scenic views. I don't. We need to see these turbines as the graceful green machines that they are. They are certainly more beautiful than plastic bags that are caught in the branches of trees, floating in rivers and seas, stuck around the necks or legs of innocent animals or blocking up drainage systems.
At the very minimum, we all need to be attentive to how we dispose of plastic waste. There are so many different types of this (chiefly) petroleum-based environmental menace that even recycling companies don't accept all forms of it.
That's one area where people in cities and towns around the world can demand action. Many local governments, keen to raise their recycling rates, would support such a campaign. -- Matthew
租不如说借，因为租赁袋子不需要钱，这种事5月10日将在东莞展开，1000多个商家第一批参与，一种尝试，希望带来一种改变。
详细内容在www.ooe.cn
Actually it's about loaning a cloth bag for shopping, as the bags are lent out for free. We will put this idea into practice in May 10 at Dongguan. Over 1,000 businesses have agreed to join this program. Hope it can help change things for the better. For more details please visit: www.ooe.cn
东莞提出的这个想法不错。我们使用过多的塑料袋，往往只是因为我们冲动购物的时候，手边没有一个可以重复使用的袋子。--Matty
This idea from Dongguan is a good one. Often we end up with excess plastic bags simply because we make spontaneous purchases when we don't happen to have a reusable bag with us. -- Matty
Comments are translated into either Chinese or English after being moderated.
我们建议你在评论后署名, 以便其他浏览者能更好地与你交流。你没有必要使用真名，但你的署名将会协助我们维护网站的信息交流畅通。
We suggest you add your name to your comments so that other readers can respond to you more easily. You don’t have to use your real name, but providing a name will help make communication clearer for other forum participants.
