Chengdu Qingya paper is engaged in Bamboo and Bagasse pulp raw materials to produce Bamboo Jumbo rolls, Bamboo toilet paper etc control with extraordinary efficiency.
Language
Chengdu Qingya paper is engaged in Bamboo and Bagasse pulp raw materials to produce Bamboo Jumbo rolls, Bamboo toilet paper etc control with extraordinary efficiency.
Special Report | Main Policies, Achievements and Progress of "Replacing Plastics with Bamboo" in China
The issue of plastic pollution has become a global focus. Major countries around the world are seeking ways to ban, reduce, and replace plastics. Bamboo, with its advantages such as fast growth, easy regeneration, biodegradability, high strength, good toughness, and excellent plasticity, is a high-quality green raw material for replacing plastic products. China is rich in bamboo resources and has a developed bamboo industry. Promoting "replacing plastics with bamboo" enjoys unique advantages and has great potential and far-reaching influence for future development. Since the "Replacing Plastics with Bamboo" initiative was launched on November 7, 2022, various levels of government, scientific research institutions, and industry enterprises in China have actively responded and vigorously promoted it, and positive achievements have been made in all aspects so far. On the occasion of the 2nd anniversary of the "Replacing Plastics with Bamboo" initiative and the 1st anniversary of the release of the "Three-Year Action Plan for Accelerating the Development of 'Replacing Plastics with Bamboo'", this journal specially invited relevant experts from the China Association of Circular Economy to sort out the relevant policies, achievements, progress, challenges of "replacing plastics with bamboo", and put forward relevant suggestions, aiming to provide references for accelerating the development of "replacing plastics with bamboo". "Replacing Plastics with Bamboo" refers to the process and activities of replacing plastic products with bamboo products, which is a fundamental solution to reducing plastic consumption at the source and addressing plastic pollution. The development of "replacing plastics with bamboo" is of great significance. Globally, it is an important means to address the global plastic pollution problem, implement the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, implement the Global Development Initiative, and build a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind. Domestically, it is of great significance for strengthening the comprehensive management of plastic pollution, promoting the realization of the value of ecological products, helping to achieve the goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, and building a modernization of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. Since the "Replacing Plastics with Bamboo" initiative was launched, China has taken active actions and introduced a series of supportive policies, achieving positive progress in scientific and technological innovation, standard formulation, and industrial development. **I. Background of "Replacing Plastics with Bamboo"** 1. Plastic pollution has become a global problem Due to the advantages of low production cost and convenient use, plastic products are widely used in various fields of production and life. According to the report of the United Nations Environment Programme, from 1950 to 2017, the global cumulative production of plastic products exceeded 9.2 billion tons, of which only 9% were recycled, and the vast majority eventually piled up in landfills or flowed into the natural environment, and the microplastics formed would cause harm to human health and natural ecosystems. Internationally, countries are seeking ways to ban and restrict plastics. Currently, more than 140 countries have clearly defined policies on banning and restricting plastics. Domestically, although the large-scale leakage of plastic waste into the natural environment has been effectively curbed, problems in fields such as disposable plastic shopping bags, express delivery, and takeout are still prominent, and it is urgent to seek a fundamental solution to address plastic pollution. 2. China attaches great importance to plastic pollution control China is one of the countries that started to ban, restrict, and replace plastics earlier in the world. In the past nearly 20 years, in order to address the increasingly severe plastic pollution problem, China has introduced a series of plastic pollution control policies from aspects such as laws and regulations, standard specifications, investment, finance, and taxation. In 2007, the General Office of the State Council issued the "Notice on Restricting the Production, Sale, and Use of Plastic Shopping Bags", putting forward requirements such as prohibiting the production, sale, and use of ultra-thin plastic shopping bags. In the "Action Plan for Plastic Pollution Control during the '14th Five-Year Plan' Period" issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, clear arrangements have also been made for plastic reduction and replacement and the promotion of plastic substitute products. 3. "Replacing Plastics with Bamboo" emerged as the times require "Replacing Plastics with Bamboo" is the best solution to reduce plastic pollution from the source. The control of plastic pollution lies in two aspects: one is to recycle waste plastics, and the other is to promote plastic substitutes to reduce the use of plastics at the source. Bamboo has the characteristics of being green, low-carbon, fast-growing, easy to regenerate, and biodegradable, and is the best substitute material for plastics. Developing bamboo into related products to replace plastic products in fields such as daily necessities, express delivery, and packaging to achieve "replacing plastics with bamboo" can provide a nature-based solution to plastic pollution control. "Replacing Plastics with Bamboo" has become a hot topic of common concern both at home and abroad. On June 24, 2022, President Xi Jinping chaired the High-level Dialogue on Global Development, and the meeting clearly stated that China would jointly launch the "Replacing Plastics with Bamboo" initiative with the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization to reduce plastic pollution and address climate change. On November 7, 2022, the 25th Anniversary Celebration of the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization and the 2nd World Bamboo and Rattan Congress were held in Beijing, and the Chinese government and the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization jointly launched the "Replacing Plastics with Bamboo" initiative at the meeting. Since then, "replacing plastics with bamboo" has quickly become one of the hot topics in many important domestic and international activities. **II. Advantages of "Replacing Plastics with Bamboo" in China** 1. Abundant bamboo resources China is the country with the richest varieties and the most extensive distribution of bamboo in the world. The types, area, and volume of bamboo resources all rank first in the world. There are 39 genera and 857 species of bamboo plants in China, accounting for 52% of the 1,642 species of bamboo in the world. The "2021 China Forest and Grass Ecological Comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation Report" shows that in 2021, the area of bamboo forests in China was 756.27 million hectares, accounting for 3.31% of the forest area; there are bamboo forests in 20 provinces across the country, among which the area of bamboo forests in Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Anhui is more than 300,000 hectares, and the total area is 678.50 million hectares, accounting for 89.72% of the national bamboo forest area. 2. Developed bamboo industry China is the world's largest producer and trader of bamboo products. By the end of 2023, the total output value of the bamboo industry in China exceeded 5000 billion yuan, and the total trade volume of bamboo products' import and export ranked first in the world. Data from Tianyancha shows that there are currently more than 368,000 enterprises related to the "bamboo industry" in the country, and the number of employees in the bamboo industry exceeds 10 million. More than 100 series and tens of thousands of bamboo products have been developed, which are widely used in various industries such as daily household, industrial production, building materials, and logistics packaging, and most of the bamboo products have the effect of "replacing plastics", which provides reliable industrial support for promoting "replacing plastics with bamboo". 3. Pioneering exploration of "Replacing Plastics with Bamboo" Before the "Replacing Plastics with Bamboo" initiative was launched, China had carried out a series of practical explorations related to "replacing plastics with bamboo". First, relevant policies were formulated. The National Development and Reform Commission issued a series of documents to promote "banning plastics" and "restricting plastics" and develop substitute products, listing "cooling tower bamboo grid water spray" and "high-performance bamboo-based fiber composite materials (reconstituted bamboo)" in the low-carbon product catalog, and listing "bamboo-wrapped composite material technology" in the "14th Five-Year Plan for Bioeconomic Development". Second, the fiscal and tax policies were optimized. The collection of bamboo resource forestry fund was completely cancelled, and bamboo materials were exempted from value-added tax in the purchase and entry into the factory环节. Third, a standard system was established. The National Bamboo and Rattan Standardization Technical Committee was established, and 188 national and industry standards related to bamboo products were formulated (by the end of 2021), accounting for more than 90% of the total number of world bamboo product standards. Fourth, pilot demonstrations were carried out. A batch of bamboo industrial parks and scientific and technological innovation bases were established to support the trial implementation of "bamboo-wrapped composite material technology". **III. Main Policies of "Replacing Plastics with Bamboo"** 1. Release of the first top-level design document for "Replacing Plastics with Bamboo" On October 12, 2023, the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments issued the "Three-Year Action Plan for Accelerating the Development of 'Replacing Plastics with Bamboo'", deploying seven major actions such as scientific and technological innovation enhancement and industrial ecosystem cultivation, and releasing the "Main Product Catalog of 'Replacing Plastics with Bamboo' (2023 Edition)", clearly defining 3 major categories and 17 minor categories of "replacing plastics with bamboo" products, providing guidance for the orderly promotion of "replacing plastics with bamboo" in various places. 2. Joint release of the first global action plan for "Replacing Plastics with Bamboo" On November 7, 2023, the Chinese government and the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization jointly released the "Global Action Plan for 'Replacing Plastics with Bamboo' (2023-2030)", proposing six major goals such as accelerating the introduction of supportive measures, promoting the improvement of scientific research level, encouraging exploration in innovative fields, and promoting the development of market mechanisms, with a total of 23 actions, providing guidance for promoting global "replacing plastics with Bamboo". 3. "Replacing Plastics with Bamboo" was first included in the relevant national industrial catalogs and received support In December 2023, the development, production, and application of "replacing plastics with Bamboo" products were included in the "Industrial Structure Adjustment Guidance Catalog (2024 Edition)" issued by the National Development and Reform Commission as an encouraged industry; in February 2023, "replacing Plastics with Bamboo" was included in the "Green Low-Carbon Transformation Industrial Guidance Catalog (2024 Edition)" issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments; in March 2023, the National Development and Reform Commission issued the "Special Management Measures for Central Budgetary Investment in Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction", and the production projects of "replacing Plastics with Bamboo" products were included in the support range. 4. A batch of relevant supportive policies for "Replacing Plastics with Bamboo" have been intensively introduced by various places Since 2023, more than 10 provinces such as Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Sichuan, and Guizhou have taken "replacing Plastics with Bamboo" as an important means to promote the high-quality development of the local bamboo industry, and have successively introduced a series of fiscal, investment, and financial supportive policies aimed at promoting the development of "replacing Plastics with Bamboo", such as including "replacing Plastics with Bamboo" products in the scope of government procurement support, establishing an application promotion subsidy mechanism for "replacing Plastics with Bamboo", setting up a "replacing Plastics with Bamboo" industrial fund, and developing relevant financial products for "replacing Plastics with Bamboo", and the policy system for "replacing Plastics with Bamboo" has gradually been formed. **IV. Achievements and Progress of "Replacing Plastics with Bamboo"** 1. Continuous emergence of scientific and technological innovation Received support from the National Key Research and Development Program. In 2023, the State Forestry and Grass Administration and the Ministry of Science and Technology included "replacing Plastics with Bamboo" in the "Open Call for Proposals" list of the National Key Research and Development Program for 2023; in May 2024, the "Key Technology Development and Application of Bamboo-based Plastic Replacement Products" project of the "14th Five-Year Plan" National Key Research and Development Program was officially launched. The technology maintains a global leading position. Bamboo-wrapped material technology, bamboo-unfolding technology, bamboo car interior, and bamboo electronic product shell are world-leading "replacing Plastics with Bamboo" key technologies. China has become the country with the most applications for bamboo product patents. Taking "bamboo materials" as an example, there are more than 1,035 authorized invention patents, more than 2,776 published invention patents, and more than 2,249 authorized utility model patents. The filling of standard blanks is accelerated. In September 2023, the China Association of Circular Economy established a "replacing Plastics with Bamboo" standardization working group and held a work promotion meeting, which quickly led to the start of relevant standard formulation work by relevant units. In September 2024, the State Forestry and Grass Administration released a "replacing Plastics with Bamboo" special standard system, which includes 9 major categories such as basic general, engineering and building materials, agricultural and forestry production supplies, cultural and sports supplies, handicrafts, medical supplies, furniture and household, electrical appliance shells, and daily necessities, including 140 standards that have been released, are being revised, or are planned to be revised, covering national standards, industry standards, local standards, group standards, and enterprise standards. The filling of "replacing Plastics with Bamboo" standard blanks is accelerated. 2. Strong momentum of industrial development The industrial scale is growing at a high speed. Driven by policies and led by science and technology, relevant enterprises have increased the research and development and production of new technologies and products, and the types of "replacing Plastics with Bamboo" products have been increasing, and the output and output value have been significantly improved. Currently, there are thousands of typical "replacing Plastics with Bamboo" products in the country, nearly 10,000 processing enterprises, more than 1,000 million employees, and the annual growth rate of industrial output value is more than 30%. The industrial quality is effectively improved. Under the leadership of "replacing Plastics with Bamboo", various places have fully excavated the value of bamboo resources, the internal driving force for industrial development has been significantly enhanced, a batch of leading enterprises have been formed, the full bamboo utilization mode has been accelerated, the output and quality of "replacing Plastics with Bamboo" products have been gradually improved, the market share of key products such as bamboo tableware and bamboo daily necessities has been significantly improved, and the prelude to the high-quality development of the "replacing Plastics with Bamboo" industry has been opened. The industrial capacity is obviously enlarged. According to preliminary investigations, in more than 50% of the 30 "China Bamboo Hometown" areas, plans are being made to build "replacing Plastics with Bamboo" application promotion bases, more than 20 cities (counties) have started to prepare for the construction of "replacing Plastics with Bamboo" industrial parks, and the investment scale of reserve projects exceeds 1,000 billion yuan, and the expected annual additional capacity of "replacing Plastics with Bamboo" products is expected to exceed 1,000 million tons. 3. More abundant application scenarios The production and sales docking of "replacing Plastics with Bamboo" is smooth. Since 2022, the Ministry of Commerce has used activities such as the Third China International Consumer Goods Expo to continuously promote the supply and demand docking of "replacing Plastics with Bamboo". The State Forestry and Grass Administration has promoted government-enterprise cooperation and industry-university interaction by holding activities such as "Bamboo Culture Festival" and "Bamboo Industry Expo" in major bamboo-producing areas. A batch of leading enterprises such as Anhui Hongye Group Co., Ltd. have actively explored overseas markets. The export trade of "replacing Plastics with Bamboo" products has been significantly increased, and the total trade volume of Chinese bamboo products' import and export in 2022 exceeded 27 billion US dollars. The application in key fields is accelerated. Relevant departments and local governments have actively promoted the application of "replacing Plastics with Bamboo" products in public places such as government offices and conference rooms; Xiamen Airlines and other companies have actively used bamboo tableware to replace disposable plastic tableware; All Seasons Hotel and other hotels have accelerated the construction of full bamboo decoration theme hotels, and relevant hotels have been the first to promote the use of bamboo toothbrushes, bamboo combs and other products to replace disposable plastic products; Meituan and other takeout platforms have called on catering enterprises to provide bamboo fiber lunch boxes, bamboo knives, forks, spoons and chopsticks and other bamboo tableware, advocating to refuse the use of disposable plastic tableware; relevant pulp molding enterprises have accelerated the production of bamboo-based degradable packaging materials, promoting the application in industries such as liquor, beverage, cosmetics, mobile phones, and computers; the application rate of bamboo-wrapped pipes and bamboo grid water spray fillers in industries such as construction and electricity has been continuously increased, and the application of "replacing Plastics with Bamboo" products is expanding from the field of household life consumption to the field of industrial production and manufacturing. New fields and new products have emerged. On the basis of the 3 major categories and 17 minor categories of "replacing Plastics with Bamboo" products defined in the "Main Product Catalog of 'Replacing Plastics with Bamboo' (2023 Edition)", new fields and new products have been emerging continuously. For example, bamboo-based seedling raising devices, fruit bags, and plastic film for agricultural production, bamboo textile, bamboo weaving, bamboo fiber, and bamboo charcoal for light industrial production, and bamboo-based medical materials and bamboo-based new energy materials. 4. Accelerated progress of local pilot projects Exploration of pilot demonstrations. Anji County, Zhejiang Province, was the first in the country to carry out the construction of "replacing Plastics with Bamboo" application promotion bases, and issued and implemented the "Implementation
