New standard will hopefully put an end to poisonous playgrounds

A NEW COMPULSORY NATIONAL STANDARD on the synthetic paving materials for primary and middle school playgrounds came into force on Thursday. Shenzhen Evening comments:

Over the past four years, as more and more schools have opted to build new playgrounds paved with visually pleasant synthetic materials, often bright red and green, the flaws of the old national standard, which was drawn up as a reference rather than one to be enforced, have become evident.

Substandard synthetic materials containing dozens of kinds of hazardous materials have caused allergies, nausea, nosebleeds and dizziness.

As long as the builders ensured a new playground met the standard, which only limits the amounts of seven hazardous materials, the project would be approved, even though the materials used might pose a risk to students’ health.

This led to the old national standard becoming an excuse for builders, quality inspectors, schools and education authorities to pass the buck, even after students were hospitalized after inhaling the toxic fumes emitted by playground materials.

The new compulsory national standard should put an end to the irresponsible practices of the past. With a larger set of technical specifications covering all possible emissions from the synthetic materials used for playground paving, the standard, if strictly enforced, will offer kids protection from injury while guaranteeing the playground paving is environmentally friendly and not a health hazard.

However, the new standard will drive up the cost of playground paving. In fact, as the experience of the past shows, a dirt playground with hardened natural soil surface mixed with sand and coal cinders, which is still used in some developed countries, is enough to meet the needs of children’s safety, while being cheaper to build and maintain.

Many loan companies send out the same message in their advertisements aimed at the young consumers: you are the best and you deserve the best.

Over the past few years, the savings rate of Chinese families has fallen fast, and young people have demonstrated a different consumption concept from the elder generations, who largely led a frugal life for most of their lives and stressed savings for future emergencies.

The younger generation views life as short and wants to enjoy it.

China is going through a phase of consumption upgrading and fast social development. The debate on different consumption concept between the elder and the younger generations is natural. This is a common issue that many developed countries face as well.

But it is necessary to strengthen regulation of the loan industry, deal with the advertisements that are suspected of inciting young people to live beyond their means, and raise the young people’s awareness of rational consumption, particularly those still living on the support of their parents.

Consumption is not wrong itself. With the development of the times, the younger generation has a greater ability to spend and improve their quality of life. However, the easy borrowing has blurred the boundary between excessive and rational consumption.

That’s why the authorities banned campus loans after the lending to students became a serious problem.

Young people should realize that the advantage of being young does not lie in possessing fashionable and luxurious commodities, but having a more open outlook and different ways of thinking. This is what really distinguishes them from the older generations. Young people should realize that there is more to life than material things.

For the financial companies targeting young people, the government has the responsibility to regulate them and punish any found to have violated the law.