{"id":116276,"date":"2023-12-07T11:49:34","date_gmt":"2023-12-07T11:49:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chinadialogue.net\/?post_type=news_digest&#038;p=116276"},"modified":"2024-04-15T16:31:03","modified_gmt":"2024-04-15T16:31:03","slug":"biodegradable-plastic-bags-failing-in-beijing","status":"publish","type":"news_digest","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/digest\/biodegradable-plastic-bags-failing-in-beijing\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Biodegradable\u2019 plastic bags failing in Beijing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beijing\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/english.beijing.gov.cn\/government\/departments\/202006\/t20200622_1929912.html\">market regulator<\/a> has assessed 29 types of \u201cbiodegradable\u201d plastic bag and found that 19 (or 65.5%) fail to meet industry and national standards.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The standards concern labelling, biodegradation rate, volatile organic compound emissions, and carrying capacity by weight. The regulator <a href=\"https:\/\/scjgj.beijing.gov.cn\/zwxx\/gs\/cpzlgs\/202312\/t20231204_3489781.html\">emphasised<\/a> that producers and sellers falling short of these standards  face legal consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Humanity produces more than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oecd.org\/environment\/plastic-pollution-is-growing-relentlessly-as-waste-management-and-recycling-fall-short.htm\">430 million tonnes<\/a> of plastic annually, two-thirds of which comprise short-lived products that soon become waste, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unep.org\/news-and-stories\/story\/everything-you-need-know-about-plastic-pollution#:~:text=Humanity%20produces%20more%20than%20430,into%20the%20human%20food%20chain.\">UN Environment Programme<\/a>. In 2019, China accounted for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/china\/science\/article\/3134480\/chinas-plastic-waste-mountain-biggest-world-study\">one-fifth<\/a> of global single-use plastic waste, more than any other nation, though the per capita figure is a fraction of that in Australia and the US, reports the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/china\/science\/article\/3134480\/chinas-plastic-waste-mountain-biggest-world-study\">SCMP<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To tackle China\u2019s plastic pollution during 2021-2025, the National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued a five-year <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ndrc.gov.cn\/xxgk\/zcfb\/tz\/202109\/t20210915_1296580.html?code=&amp;state=123\">plan<\/a> in September 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/english.www.gov.cn\/statecouncil\/ministries\/202109\/15\/content_WS6141f622c6d0df57f98e03a1.html#:~:text=The%20action%20plan%2C%20jointly%20issued,landfills%20and%20environmental%20leakage%20during\">summary<\/a> of the plan states: \u201cBy 2025, key sectors such as retail, e-commerce, and express delivery, are expected to drastically cut the unreasonable use of single-use plastics.\u201d The plan also promotes use of alternatives to \u200b\u200bnon-biodegradable plastic \u201csuch as bamboo, wood, paper, and degradable plastics\u201c.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBiodegradable plastic substitution was previously a popular solution, but the [five-year] plan proposed that its true value in solving plastic pollution needs to be scientifically evaluated to avoid unreasonable capacity expansion,\u201d Dr Tan Yiki of Tsinghua Circular Economy Research Centre, recently told the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cenews.com.cn\/news.html?aid=1096936\">media<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Biodegradable plastics are supposed to completely decompose into natural substances within a reasonable timeframe. However, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldwildlife.org\/blogs\/sustainability-works\/posts\/is-biodegradable-and-compostable-plastic-good-for-the-environment-not-necessarily\">warns<\/a> that the results of lab tests, conducted under controlled conditions, do not guarantee that a product will break down in the natural environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In China, biodegradable plastics are presently disposed of alongside regular garbage in incinerators and landfills, Wen Zongguo, a professor at Tsinghua University\u2019s School of Environment, writes in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.news.cn\/globe\/2022-04\/25\/c_1310564977.htm\">Xinhua News<\/a>. As a result, such products not only come with a higher price tag, but lack environmental advantages over traditional plastics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Read China Dialogue\u2019s <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/pollution\/china-cools-on-biodegradable-plastic\/\"><em>article<\/em><\/a><em> from last year on how China is cooling on biodegradable plastic.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Beijing\u2019s market regulator has assessed 29 types of \u201cbiodegradable\u201c plastic bag and found that 19 (or 65.5%) fail to meet standards<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":60006649,"template":"","categories":[758,760],"tags":[578],"country":[],"digest-collection":[50039911],"class_list":["post-116276","news_digest","type-news_digest","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-pollution","tag-plastics"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 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