Why Chinese Parents are Buying Plastic Waste Online
Since a revised guideline on household waste disposal was implemented back in May 2020, schools in China have been diligently working to educate their students about waste management and classification.
As a result, many schools have seen their campuses trash cans get tidier (sadly, the same can’t be said about most neighborhood waste bins).
Now, as China works to promote environmental awareness in schools, students are being taught about responsible recycling practices.
In order to encourage these habits, teachers are assigning students to collect large amounts of plastic waste and other recyclable materials each month.
Although they are sometimes voluntary, these recycling projects often have strict rules – requiring students to collect dozens of items – or even more – with failure to meet the quotas affecting their grades and teacher assessments.
This has caused parents to start ordering plastic junk online. In recent months, ‘recycling waste’ has become one of the most popular product categories on Chinese e-commerce platforms such as the secondhand app Xianyu.
Empty milk cartons available on Xianyu
One of the more popular items is empty milk cartons – a bundle of 100 goes for around RMB30. Other items include cardboard, empty pens, and flattened bottles.
Many people are not aware of these school assignments and the topic “Who’s buying empty cartons and pen refills” has received millions of views on Weibo.
The inflexible quotas and academic consequences of these recycling collection programs have received backlash from parents and netizens; many believe the focus should be on teaching the kids practical environmental tips and habits – rather than burdening the parents and supporting the dairy industry.
Hopefully schools will soon change their approach to encouraging green behavior; until then, don’t be surprised if you come across plastic waste while shopping online.
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[Cover images via Xianyu]
