WE'VEbeenhearingandtalkingaboutitforafairlylongtime：curbingwhathasbecomeknownas“white"pollution.Butstillweareusingthewhitepolystyrene（PS）foamfoodcontainersandotherdisposableplasticproducts,whichlargelymakeupthisformoflittering.

　　Miandianwang,awell-knownlocalfast-foodchain,isstillhandingouttakeoutfoodinthesePSfoamcontainers,eventhoughtheyshouldbeenphasedoutbeforeDecember31,2000,underaCentralGovernmentdecree.OneofthewaiterssaidinitsoutletonHongliRoadonMondaythattheyaregoingtoswitchtoenvironmentallyfriendlycontainers“sometimeinthefuture".

　　However,theMiandianwangoutletinSam'sClub,whichisaffiliatedwithWal-Mart,isofferingtake-outfoodinlightbrowncontainerswhicharebiodegradable.Liang,aclerkwithSam'sClub,toldShenzhenDailyyesterdaythattheclubrequiredtheMiandianwangoutlettodosoinitscontract.

　　AccordingtoLiang,allthedepartmentsintheclubswitchedtobiodegradablecontainersduringtheSpringFestivalholiday.

　　ZhaoHua,withtheenergydivisionoftheShenzhenMunicipalEconomicDevelopmentBureau,oneofthefivemunicipalgovernmentdepartmentsinvolvedinthecurbingofwhitepollutioninthecity,saidonMondaythatlargecompaniesandretailerslikeWal-MartandVanguardhaverespondedtothedecreebyswitchingtobiodegradablecontainers.Butsheadmittedthatisjustthetipoftheicebergintheseeminglyendlesswaronwhitepollutioninthecity.

　　Zhao'sbureauhasmetwithfourotherrelevantdepartmentsonseveraloccasions.WhattheyproducedisnotafeasiblesolutionbutanechoorrewordingoftheCentralGovernmentdecree,accordingtoLuoWeifromShenzhenMunicipalLegalAffairsBureau,whoisresponsibleforreviewingthis“echo".The”echo"hasnowbeenpassedontothemunicipalgovernmentwhichisexpectedtoannounceitformallyinthenearfuture.ButLuosaidshe'snotsureifthisrewordingcanplayasignificantroleineliminatingwhitepollutioninthecity.“Wedon'tlacklaws,regulationsordecrees.Therealconcernistheeffectiveenforcementoftheselawsorregulations,"saidLuo.

　　ZhaoHuaadmittedthatcitieslikeShanghaiandothercoastalcitieswhicharesensitiveabouttheirimageastouristdestinationsaredoingabetterjobinthisregard.“ShanghaiissaidtohaveproducedaverydetailedhandbookonhowtocarryoutthecurbingworkandHainanhasevenbanneddisposablefoamslippersinhotels,"Zhaosaid.

　　LiuGuanqing,presidentofShenzhenXunbaoInvestmentDevelopmentCoLtd,alocalmanufacturerofbiodegradablefoodcontainerswasveryeagertohearthemunicipalgovernment'sdecisiononthematter.“Sinceearlythisyear,I'veseenordersflyin.I'llexpandproductiononcethegovernmentannouncesitsstanceontheissue."