Suchergebnisse

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) used to account for ≈50% of China's waste plastics import. In 2018, the Chinese government banned the import of waste plastics due to the environmental and health burdens caused by the waste treatment processes. However, the recycling of waste PET also helps avoid the production of virgin PET and several corresponding environmental impacts such as fossil resources use and carbon emission, which remain unquantified. We combine material flow analysis and life cycle assessment to map the PET bottle cycles and evaluate the relevant environmental performances during 2000–2018 in China. The cumulative recycling of PET bottles amounted to 78 million tons (Mt) in China during the studied period. Among them, 29 Mt waste PET bottles (37% of total recycling) were imported from abroad and accounted for 40% of the world's total export. Most waste PET bottles in China was recycled to produce PET fibers, which significantly improved global PET circularity, reduced the use of virgin PET material, and saved about 109 Mt oil-eq of fossil resources (e.g., coal and oil) use and avoided 233 Mt CO2-eq emissions. Despite these benefits, the environmental burdens with regional impacts during waste plastics treatment should be significantly reduced, and technologies for close-loop, namely bottle-to-bottle, recycling of PET should be further developed and widely applied. 72 Mt waste PET bottles (37% were imported abroad) were recycled in China, which promoted global plastic circularity and sustainability.

AbstractUnequal outcomes resulting from urbanization can pose a significant challenge to sustainable development. Vehicles are an important urbanization dimension as a critical component of urban infrastructure by providing mobility and accessibility to social services. China's vehicle ownership (referred to as in-use vehicle stocks) has been growing quickly since 2000, but its per capita stocks are still much lower than that in developed economies. This raises the question of whether and when China's vehicle stocks will reach a peak level close to that in the developed countries. By analyzing vehicle stocks in 283 Chinese cities during 2001–2018, we have the following findings: (1) vehicle stocks are predominantly distributed in northern and eastern coastal cities and provincial capital cities; (2) inequality in vehicle ownership rates between cities shows a declining trend at both national and region scales; (3) the growth of vehicle ownership rates follows an S-shape curve and most cities are still at the early stage of motorization; (4) China is likely to have a lower saturation level of vehicle ownership rate. These results could help to accurately forecast future vehicle demand in China, estimate the resulting environmental impacts, and explore strategies to achieve carbon neutrality in transportation.

Hoarding refers to an excessive acquisition of objects and inability to part with apparently valueless possessions. While it can lead to excessive clutter, distress and disability, it is important to note that not all cases of hoarding are pathological. This article aims to suggest how one can make recommendations to patients and families when they encounter someone exhibiting hoarding behaviour. It also introduces the Hoarding Task Force and relevant legislation in Singapore to address the issue of hoarding in the community.