Metallurgy / Chemicals / Rubber & Plastics

China's biodegradable plastics market is expected to usher in rapid growth

The invention and use of plastics have brought great convenience to people’s daily lives, but the problem of plastic pollution has become increasingly serious. As non-degradable plastic waste stays in nature for 200-400 years, and some for 500 years, It not only causes soil pollution, but also pollutes the air and water bodies, causing huge environmental safety hazards. Therefore, the treatment of white pollution has become a hot spot of global concern.

Degradable plastic refers to a kind of plastic whose products have various properties that can meet the requirements of use. The performance remains unchanged during the storage period, and after use, it can be degraded into environmentally harmless materials under natural environmental conditions. At present, degradable plastics Mainly divided into photodegradable plastics, biodegradable plastics, photo/oxidation/biodegradable plastics, carbon dioxide-based biodegradable plastics, and thermoplastic starch resin degradable plastics.

In recent years, my country’s degradable plastics research and development has made breakthroughs, and the level of industrialization has continued to increase. Driven by my country’s acceleration of the construction of a green circular economy and the development of a sustainable economy, my country’s degradable plastics market is expected to be under the background of "carbon neutrality". Usher in rapid growth.

1. Policies promote the rapid development of the degradable plastics industry

The problem of plastic pollution control has always been the focus of the national environmental protection department. In recent years, the state has issued a series of policies to solve the problem of plastic pollution prevention and control in China in a planned and step-by-step manner, and promote the development and application of degradable plastics in China. In July 2020, the state The National Development and Reform Commission and nine departments jointly issued the "Notice on Solidly Promoting Plastic Pollution Control", and made arrangements for further improving plastic pollution control, especially the completion of the phased goals and tasks at the end of 2020, and clarified the restrictions on non-degradable plastic bags and disposable plastic tableware. The policy boundary and implementation requirements of disposable plastic products such as disposable plastic straws. The end of 2020 has become the phased implementation node of the plastic ban notice, and the gradual implementation of the plastic ban is expected to promote the growth of demand for degradable plastics.

After the National Development and Reform Commission issued the "Opinions on Further Strengthening the Control of Plastic Pollution", various provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions have successively promulgated the "Prohibition and Limitation of Plastics" policies. All provinces and cities have formulated corresponding phased implementation plans for the plastic ban, and the relevant plastic pollution control promotion plans are summarized as follows:

2. China has huge space for alternatives to biodegradable plastics

my country is a major consumer of plastics in the world, with plastic consumption accounting for 15% of the world’s total. According to data released by Grand View Research, the size of my country’s plastic packaging market in 2019 is 54.1 billion U.S. dollars, and my country’s plastic packaging market is expected to reach 698 by 2025. According to the calculation of the replacement rate of biodegradable plastics at 30%, my country's biodegradable plastics market is estimated to be approximately 20.9 billion USD in 2025. Generally speaking, my country's biodegradable plastics market has broad prospects and the industry can develop in a promising manner.