Ridding land of foreign waste

In Plastic China, a documentary shot by Wang Jiuliang, Chen Feng (not his real name) makes his living recycling plastic waste imported from developed countries. His family lives among the garbage and his young son often finds “toys” around him. Used plastic injectors are his favorite.
在王久良拍摄的纪录片《塑料王国》中，陈锋（化名）以回收发达国家出口到中国的塑料垃圾为生。他家住在垃圾堆里，小儿子常在身边找到“玩具”，用过的塑料注射器就是他的最爱。

China was once the world’s biggest recipient of overseas trash. Many people like Chen Feng work at centers recycling imported waste, also called foreign garbage.
中国曾是世界最大的洋垃圾进口国。很多像陈锋这样的人在进口垃圾（也叫洋垃圾）回收中心工作。

From Jan 1, 2021, China will make a sweeping ban on all imports of solid waste. The dumping, stacking and disposal of waste products from overseas on Chinese territory will also be banned.
2021年1月1日起，中国将全面禁止进口固体废物，禁止中国境外的废物进境倾倒、堆放、处置。

China began importing solid waste in 1980 when the country didn’t have enough raw materials. The recycling of imported waste helped to fill that gap.
1980年，因为当时的原材料不足，中国开始进口固体废物。对进口废物回收再利用有助于填补这一缺口。

Recycling foreign trash, such as plastics, paper and metals, has supported the development of China’s manufacturing sector and further boosted its economy. After being processed, garbage can be turned into materials that can be used to make products, such as chairs and bags. Developed countries like the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan have been the main sources, paying China only around several hundred yuan per ton for recycling.
回收塑料、废纸、金属等洋垃圾支持了中国制造业的发展，也进一步促进了中国经济发展。垃圾加工后可以变成制造椅子、书包等产品的材料。美国、英国、日本等发达国家一直是主要的洋垃圾来源国，每吨垃圾仅向中国支付几百元作为回收费用。

According to Xinhua, from the mid-1990s to 2016, China’s annual imports of solid waste grew from about 4 million tons to 46.5 million tons. In 2016, China imported more than half of the world’s solid waste.
据新华社报道，二十世纪九十年代中期至2016年，中国固体废物年进口量从400万吨增长至4650万吨。2016年，中国进口了全球超过一半的固体废物。

However, importing this waste has brought more risks than benefits. Waste that can’t be used is either burned or buried, while processing recyclables also leads to rivers, air and land pollution, as well as sickness.
然而，进口洋垃圾所带来的风险大于裨益。不能使用的垃圾会被焚烧或填埋，而处理可回收废物也会带来河流、空气、土地污染，以及疾病。

In Guiyu, Guangdong province, once China’s largest disposal center for electronic trash, over 90 percent of kids showed high levels of lead in their blood, according to a report that tracked the health of local children in the years from 2006 to 2013.
一份2006-2013年持续追踪当地儿童健康状况的研究报告显示，广东贵屿曾是我国最大的电子垃圾处理中心，这里90%以上的孩子血液中铅含量很高。

In addition, about 10 billion tons of solid waste are produced annually in China, which also has to be handled appropriately.
此外，中国每年也会制造约100亿吨固体废物，也需妥善处理。

According to China Daily, the ban taking effect in 2021 is the culmination of policies introduced since 2017 to phase out the import of solid waste. Since 2017, the volume of imported waste has fallen by 68 percent, from 42 million to 13 million tons in 2019.
《中国日报》称，2021年生效的禁令是自2017年以来推出的逐步限制固体废物进口政策的最高潮。自2017年以来，进口废物量从4200万吨下降到2019年的1300万吨，降幅达68%。

“The victory of realizing the goal of zero imports of solid waste is in sight,” said Qiu Qiwen, from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.
生态环境部邱启文表示：“实现固体废物零进口目标，胜利在望。”

以上文章内容选自《21世纪学生英文报高中版》，详情请见《21世纪学生英文报高中版》高三734期