Okwangoku, uninzi lwempahla epakishwayo yokutya kwezilwanyana zasekhaya ayiphinde isetyenziswe. Abavelisi abakhulu kunye namaqela afana nePet Sustainability Alliance bafuna ukutshintsha loo nto.
Ishishini lokutya kwezilwanyana zasekhaya, elaziwa ngeengxowa zalo ezinkulu nezinezinto ezininzi ekunzima ukuzisebenzisa kwakhona, libe lelinye lamacandelo akutshanje okuphinda acinge ngokutsha ngokupakisha kwalo okuguquguqukayo. Uyilo lwezinto ezisetyenziswa kunye, uyilo olukhaphukhaphu kunye nokukwazi ukuphinda zisetyenziswe ziya zisiba yinto ephambili kwiimveliso.
Abathengi bachitha iibhiliyoni zeerandi ekutyeni kwezilwanyana zasekhaya minyaka le, kwaye i-United States ivelisa malunga neepawundi ezingama-300 ezigidi zeengxowa zeplastiki zokutya kwezilwanyana zasekhaya kunye nezinto ezimnandi, ngokutsho kophando olwenziweyo kushishino. Okwangoku, uninzi lwezi zinto azikwazi ukuphinda zisetyenziswe. Kodwa njengoko izizukulwana ezincinci nezizinzileyo ziqala ukutyala imali eninzi ekubeni nezilwanyana zasekhaya, isidingo sotshintsho siyakhula.
“Abathengi bafuna ukupakisha okunokuphinda kusetyenziswe, okunokusetyenziswa njengomgquba, okanye okunokusetyenziswa kwakhona,” utshilo uChristine Mallier, umphathi wolondolozo kwiPetcurean. IPetcurean yinkampani yaseKhanada eyenza iimpawu zeGo! Solutions, Now Fresh, kunye neGather. “Kangangexesha elide, iindleko beziphezulu kakhulu.”
Iingxowa eziqhelekileyo zokutya kwezilwanyana zasekhaya okomileyo (okubizwa ngokuba yi-kibble) zenziwe ngezinto ezihlala ixesha elide, ezibonakala zingenakuqhekeka ezigqunywe ngephepha okanye iplastiki eyenziwe ngesinyithi ukugcina ukutya nokuthintela ukuvuza kwamafutha. Ingaphandle lengxowa lidla ngokuba nesiphelo esikhazimlayo. Ngenxa yokuba ezi ngxowa zenziwe ngephepha neplastiki, kunzima ukuziphinda zisetyenziswe.
Iinkampani zokupakisha ziqalile ukuvelisa iingxowa zisebenzisa i-polyethylene kunye ne-ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) kwaye zikhangela ezinye iindlela zokwenza lula uyilo lwazo.
Eli nyathelo livela kwimizamo yeenkampani ezinkulu zokutya kwezilwanyana zasekhaya ezifana nePurina, Hill's, kunye neMars, eziye zenza izibophelelo zozinzo eziquka ukupakisha. IPurina ithi phantse i-90% yokupakisha kwayo kweplastiki eMntla Melika "yenzelwe ukuphinda isetyenziswe," kwaye inkampani ijonge ukufikelela kwizinga lokuphinda isetyenziswe le-95% ngo-2025.
I-Pet Sustainability Alliance engenzi nzuzo yaqalisa isibhambathiso sayo sozinzo ngo-2022 ukukhuthaza iimveliso zokutya kwezilwanyana zasekhaya ukuba zitshintshele ekupakishweni okunokusetyenziswa kwakhona, okunokusetyenziswa kwakhona, kunye/okanye okunokusetyenziswa njengomgquba ngo-2025.
“Sibona iSithembiso sokuPakisha njengethuba elihle lokunceda ishishini leemveliso zezilwanyana zasekhaya ukuba litshintshele kwizisombululo ezinokuphinda zisetyenziswe, kwaye ndicinga ukuba yindawo enobuhlobo ngokubanzi,” utshilo u-Ali Boden, umphathi omkhulu wenkqubo yokuPakisha kwi-PSC.
Iimpawu ezilishumi elinesithathu zisayine esi sifungo, kuquka i-Earth Animal, i-Instinct, kunye ne-Petcurean, kwaye iqala ukuthandwa phakathi kweenkampani ezincinci zokutya izilwanyana zasekhaya. Injongo yalo mbutho kukukhuthaza utshintsho ngelixa ubamba iimpawu uxanduva kwaye uzidibanisa kwiinjongo ezifanayo.
I-PSC inika amaqela atyikityayo ukufikelela kwimarike yeenkampani zokupakisha ezivavanyiweyo kwangaphambili ezifana ne-Ahlstrom kunye ne-Printpack, nto leyo ebavumela ukuba bafumane ukupakisha kwizisombululo ezinokuphinda zisetyenziswe, ezinokuphinda zisetyenziswe kunye nezinokuchumisa. I-PSC ikwabonelela amalungu ayo ngezixhobo ezinje ngoncedo ekuphuhliseni iilebheli zokuphinda zisetyenziswe kunye neengcebiso zoyilo lokupakisha.
I-Petcurean, ebisebenza ne-PSC kangangeminyaka eliqela, ithe izimisele ukuba icace gca malunga nophuculo olucwangcisiweyo.
Ngaphambili, iingxowa zenkampani zazenziwe ngee-PET ezininzi, nto leyo eyayinzima ukuziphinda zisetyenziswe. Ngoku zenziwe nge-polyethylene exineneyo (LDPE), iplastiki eguquguqukayo, engakrazukiyo, kwaye uyilo lwazo lwento enye lunokwenza kube lula ukuziphinda zisetyenziswe kwixesha elizayo.
“Kufuneka wenze umgudu wakho ukuqinisekisa ukuba ukupakisha kuhlala kutsha kwaye kuhlala ixesha elide njengelokugqibela,” utshilo uMallier, ephawula ukuba i-LDPE inokukwazi ukubonelela ngaloo nto, kodwa kuya kuthatha ixesha ukuba iimpawu zitshintshele ngokupheleleyo kwenye ukupakisha.
Ukusetyenziswa kwe-EVOH, i-thermoplastic copolymer eguquguqukayo, kukwafumana umdla kweli candelo. I-EVOH idla ngokuba yingxaki yokurisayikilisha, kodwa ezinye iinkampani zibika ukuba zifumene izisombululo.
I-Roastar ithi yenze upakisho lokutya kwezilwanyana zasekhaya oluquka umqobo ocacileyo onamatheliswe ebhegini kwaye onokusebenzisa i-EVOH enokuphinda isetyenziswe. Umthengisi woomatshini bokupakisha kunye nezixhobo i-Windmöller kunye ne-Hölscher bathi ivelisa iingxowa zokutya kwezilwanyana zasekhaya ezinokuphinda isetyenziswe kunye nomaleko womqobo we-EVOH okhutshwe kunye.
Ezi ndlela zichaphazela nobukhulu beengxowa. Nangona eli shishini laziwa ngeengxowa ezinkulu zepellet ezinobunzima obuziikhilogram ezili-10 ukuya kwezingama-20, uyilo olutsha oluninzi lunobunzima obuphakathi kweekhilogram ezi-2.5 nezi-5.
UTroy Snader, usekela-mongameli omkhulu wophuhliso lwesibini lokupakishwa kwiProMach, uchaze ukuba olu tshintsho lwenziwe kuba uyilo olutsha lusenokungasebenzi njengoyilo lwangaphambili olunezingqimba ezininzi ekugcineni iimveliso ezomileyo zomile ngenxa yeempawu zokuthintela.
“Kusekho imiqathango ethile kwishishini lokupakisha kwiintlobo zeemveliso ezinokupakishwa, kodwa izinto zihlala zitshintsha,” utshilo uMallier.
Ukutshintshiselana phakathi kokuvelisa iingxowa ezininzi nezincinci kunye nokunciphisa inkunkuma kuthathwa njengokuyimfuneko ukuze kufezekiswe ezinye iingenelo zozinzo ezivela kwizinto ezahlukeneyo. Ukutshintshela kwi-PE kunye ne-EVOH engaphezulu kufuna nokuqwalaselwa kwezinto zemveliso.
I-ProMach yongeze iimpawu ezintsha, ezifana nee-nip rollers, ukuze ziphathe ezi zinto zintsha. Ixabiso lokutywina ukupakisha ukutya kwezilwanyana zasekhaya nge-polyethylene nalo linokuba phezulu kuba linomlinganiselo wobushushu obuncinci kakhulu kunezinye izinto.
“Umngeni yayikukusebenzisa iteknoloji entsha yokufudumeza endaweni yokufudumeza lonke ubude bentonga njengoko bekusenziwa ngaphambili,” utshilo uSnead.
Ngelixa eli shishini lisiya kweli cala, akukho marike icacileyo yeengxowa zeplastiki zokutya kwezilwanyana zasekhaya kunye nezalamane zazo "ezizinzileyo". Ukupakishwa kokutya kwezilwanyana zasekhaya kwanoma yiluphi uhlobo kungcoliswa lula yintsalela yokutya, nto leyo ethetha ukuba ukuphinda kusetyenziswe kwakhona akusebenzi kakuhle kwiinkqubo ezininzi.
Izisombululo ezininzi ezintsha zokupakisha ukutya kwezilwanyana zasekhaya zifumaneka kuphela kwiinkqubo zokubuyisela ukutya evenkileni. Ezinye iimpawu, ezifana nePetcurean kunye neEarthborn Holistic, zisebenzisana neHow2Recycle ukusebenzisa iilebheli zokubuyisela ukutya evenkileni kwiingxowa zeHDPE kunye neLDPE.
Iinkqubo zokuphinda usebenzise izinto ezisetyenzisiweyo ziye zajongwa kakhulu kwiminyaka yakutshanje ngezizathu ezahlukeneyo, kwaye imakethi yezi zinto isenokukhula kuphela njengoko izixhobo zokuphinda usebenzise izinto ezisetyenzisiweyo zamakhemikhali okanye zanamhlanje zifika kwi-intanethi. I-Berry Global isandula ukufumana udumo ngokuvelisa iingxowa zokutya kwezilwanyana zasekhaya eziguquguqukayo zeHill's kusetyenziswa izithako ezivela kule nkqubo, nto leyo ebonisa indlela le ndlela enokuchaphazela ngayo imakethi yokutya kwezilwanyana zasekhaya.
Okwangoku, nangona kungekho marike icacileyo yezi phakheji, amaqela otshintsho lokutya kwezilwanyana zasekhaya athi kubalulekile ukuqala ukwazisa abantu ngoku.
“Kunzima ukwenza abantu bayeke ukulahla inkunkuma,” utshilo uMalil. “Ngokwembono yabathengi, banokuxhasa iinkampani ezithatha la manyathelo kwaye zibe ziinkokheli.”
“Nangona ezi zinto zingasetyenziswa kwakhona ngobuchwephesha, uninzi lweendawo zokuphinda zisetyenziswe azinazo iziseko zokuzicubungula, okanye akukho qoqo ecaleni kwendlela. Ngenxa yoko, uninzi lweeplastiki eziguquguqukayo ziphelela kwindawo yokulahla inkunkuma,” utshilo inkampani, wongeza ngelithi “siza kuba silungile xa iziseko zisebenza.”
Ukwanda koxinzelelo olulawulayo noluntu kwiiplastiki ezisetyenziswa kanye kudala ithuba lemarike yeemveliso ezisekelwe kwifayibha. Iinkampani ezifana nePulpex, Paboco, DS Smith kunye nabanye zinceda abathengi ukuba baphuhlise iibhotile ezintsha, iibhokisi nokunye.
Ulwakhiwo lwerhafu olulindelekileyo luyinkxalabo enkulu kwezinye iinkampani zokupakisha nezinto zokwakha, ezilungiselela neengxoxo ezivuthiweyo malunga nemigaqo-nkqubo ye-EPR kunye neyokubuyiselwa kwemali yedipozithi kulo nyaka.
Ukwanda koxinzelelo olulawulayo noluntu kwiiplastiki ezisetyenziswa kanye kudala ithuba lemarike yeemveliso ezisekelwe kwifayibha. Iinkampani ezifana nePulpex, Paboco, DS Smith kunye nabanye zinceda abathengi ukuba baphuhlise iibhotile ezintsha, iibhokisi nokunye.
Ulwakhiwo lwerhafu olulindelekileyo luyinkxalabo enkulu kwezinye iinkampani zokupakisha nezinto zokwakha, ezilungiselela neengxoxo ezivuthiweyo malunga nemigaqo-nkqubo ye-EPR kunye neyokubuyiselwa kwemali yedipozithi kulo nyaka.
Ixesha leposi: Matshi-07-2025