What does the underlined word “this” refer to?

参考解析：

细节理解题。根据第三段中的“Waste from plastic causes a lot of damage to the environment, as well as costing governments millions for waste management. Plastic bags often end up in landfill sites or on the street. And the burning of plastic waste causes toxic gases that pollute the air. In response to this, governments around the world are introducing tough recycling regulations.”塑料垃圾对环境造成了很大的破坏，同时也给政府带来了数百万的垃圾管理。塑料袋经常会出现在垃圾填埋场或街道上。而燃烧的塑料垃圾会导致有毒气体污染空气。作为对此的回应，世界各国政府正在出台严格的回收法规。由此可知this指的是“塑料垃圾对环境造成的破坏。”故选D项。