‘Green’ Mainers could learn from the Chinese
To the editor:
Resource recovery is doing very well here in China.
Their efforts often make our own seem nothing more then limp-wristed silliness. It is often the sure sign that a business is changing owners, moving, ending, or starting when you discover sacks of construction debris heaped on the sidewalk. At times it may be the only indication that there has been a change.
Workers carefully sort through and clean this trash. Even household trash is gone through by a variety of people to get every possible money-making item out of it. Often you will see the recycling expert at a wide space in the sidewalk. He will be surrounded by piles of cardboard, plastic, metal and glass. A sign will be there touting what he is paying. If you are doing some hefty cleaning then you call directly and he will bring his tricycle by with a scale to pick up what you are throwing out. At the end of the day there are lines of men and women — tired, dirt covered — pushing carts headed for the main recycling yard in the neighborhood. The prices paid for the material are low; even lower with the economic issues of today. Yet, people will do anything to make some money.
Before the janitor finishes cleaning my classroom building, all the trash is collected and sorted for anything that will generate a few extra pennies. This has the benefit of reducing the waste stream and providing a revenue source for those on the margins of society. These are a proud people and if they know that you will have stuff for them, there is a fierce bidding war as each dealer tries to garner your business.
Much of the packaging that is used for Chinese products seems superfluous. Many times I buy something and find that the small item is first wrapped in paper. Then it is wrapped in plastic. Next, it is put in a box. This box is then wrapped in more paper and placed in a bag. Then I get it. Even food items are carefully tucked into the folds of some container which is then wrapped again before being handed to you.
If you go to the bigger stores at the end of the counter are wrapping tables. Either you borrow the space to load your own bags or you are wrapping everything in sticky tape and making handles to carry it. The IKEA store is a prime example. Even though the packages are securely wrapped, the Chinese will proceed to wrap the boxes and bags in even more sticky tape. No treasure is going to get away if they can help it.
Resources are being recovered. It’s progress.
Orpheus Allison, MLA
Guangzhou, China
orpheusallison@mla.com
