When I go to a restaurant for dinner, the waiter does not actively provide disposable chopsticks. Is the service bad?
Not so. Due to the need for environmental protection, disposable items should be reduced in use, and this provision is intended to be written into legal provisions.
On the 23rd, the 15th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress was held in Beijing, and the revised draft of the Law on the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Wastes (hereinafter referred to as the "revised draft") was submitted for the second review.
It is clear that tourism, catering and other industries should gradually implement the non-active provision of disposable items.
A large amount of solid waste encroaching on space and polluting the environment urgently needs the attention of every citizen. The revised draft of the Law on the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution Caused by Solid Wastes submitted for consideration this time, in addition to regulating and guiding enterprises, has many provisions that require the active participation of the public.
In response to the draft of the first review, members of the Standing Committee and representatives suggested that the principle of prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste be clearly defined as reduction, recycling, harmlessness, and enrichment of relevant content. Therefore, the second draft of the revised draft has added relevant regulations, making it clear that the state encourages and guides to reduce the use of disposable plastic products such as plastic bags, and promotes the application of recyclable, degradable, and replaceable products.
For disposable items such as disposable chopsticks provided in restaurants, the revised draft specifies that tourism, catering and other industries should gradually promote the provision of non-active disposable items. Offices of government agencies, enterprises and institutions shall use environmentally friendly products, equipment, and facilities, and reduce the use of disposable office supplies.
Aiming at the problem of garbage classification, members of the Standing Committee and other members proposed to revise the draft to further improve the domestic garbage classification system. Therefore, the second review draft has added regulations: the classification of domestic waste shall be implemented in accordance with the principles of government promotion, participation of the whole people, urban and rural coordination, measures tailored to local conditions, and ease of implementation; local people's governments at or above the county level shall establish and improve a coordination mechanism for the classification of domestic waste and strengthen the management of domestic waste classification Capacity building; units and individuals that produce domestic waste should fulfill the obligations of domestic waste reduction and classified release according to law, and bear the responsibility of domestic waste producers; agencies, institutions, state-owned enterprises, etc. should play a leading role in the classification of domestic waste, etc.
In addition, the revised draft further improved the government and its related departments' responsibility for the prevention and control of environmental pollution caused by solid waste and added a chapter on "safeguard measures"; further improved legal responsibilities.