New regulations for degradable plastics are released, where is the development direction of the plasticization industry?

In 2023, domestic and foreign policies on plastic pollution prevention and control have become more stringent, and plastic restriction measures have been upgraded. China aims to achieve the basic establishment of a management system for the production, circulation, consumption and recycling of plastic products by 2025, and Beijing aims to stop using non-degradable disposable plastic shopping bags by the end of 2024. In addition, France, Germany, Thailand, Australia and other countries are gradually banning disposable plastic packaging, tableware, etc., and British supermarkets will fully introduce a deposit system for plastic bottles and cans to promote the effective recycling of plastic bottles. On February 1, the much-discussed "Carbon and Environmental Footprint of Plastic Biobased plastics Part 1: General Principles" will be officially implemented. The introduction of the standard provides a standard technical basis for the evaluation of the carbon footprint and environmental footprint of bio-based plastics, and will boost the establishment of a carbon-neutral standard system for the plastics industry and guide the green and low-carbon development of the industry. As relevant policies continue to advance, it is expected that the alternative demand for disposable, non-degradable plastic products will gradually be released. From the perspective of the downstream application market, the market segments covered by alternative plastics involve disposable plastic bags, express packaging, disposable tableware, agricultural plastic film, disposable straws and other segments. Polylactic acid (PLA) is considered to be the main alternative product to solve the "white pollution" of plastic products, and is also the most industrialized biodegradable material at present, and the polylactic acid industry development will enter the next golden period. According to the data, it is expected that by 2025, the market space of degradable plastics related to the domestic plastic restriction will reach 4.11 million tons. This huge incremental market will lay the foundation for the development of polylactic acid industry.

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Plastic pollution is an environmental challenge of global concern. More and more countries continue to upgrade the "plastic limit" measures, actively research and develop and promote alternative products, continue to strengthen policy guidance, enhance the awareness of enterprises and the public of the harm of plastic pollution and participate in the awareness of plastic pollution control, and promote green production and lifestyle. Let's take a look at the latest domestic and foreign plastic restriction measures!

China: New regulations on national standards for bio-based plastics will be implemented in February

In January 2020, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued the "Opinions on Further Strengthening the control of plastic Pollution", which is considered to be China's "most stringent plastic restriction order in history". The guideline pointed out that the production, sale and use of some plastic products should be banned and restricted in an orderly manner, and alternative products should be actively promoted, and the production and sale of ultra-thin plastic shopping bags with a thickness of less than 0.025 mm should be prohibited. Regarding non-degradable plastic bags and disposable plastic tableware, the opinions put forward the prohibition target in three time nodes in 2020, 2022 and 2025 respectively. By 2025, the management system for the production, circulation, consumption, recycling and disposal of plastic products will be basically established, the multi-component co-governance system will be basically formed, the development and application level of alternative products will be further improved, the amount of plastic waste in key cities will be significantly reduced, and plastic pollution will be effectively controlled.

At the end of 2022, Beijing took the lead in carrying out the "new action" to limit plastic, and launched 12 measures to help Miyun and Yanqing build a model of plastic pollution control. Make the "Beijing demonstration" for the national plastic pollution control work, and promote the green development of ecological conservation areas to a new level. The 12 measures include increasing the promotion of biodegradable agricultural film, strengthening the treatment of disposable plastic products such as tourist attractions above grade in the jurisdiction, rural guest houses, and standardizing the recycling and utilization of plastic products. It is proposed that the Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Municipal Water Bureau and the Municipal Development and Reform Commission will support and guide the long-term positioning monitoring work of the two districts in combination with the field head system and cultivated land quality, deploy farmland monitoring points, continue to carry out plastic film residue monitoring, deploy monitoring points in the Miyun Reservoir and key river sections, lakes and reservoirs within the jurisdiction, and continue to carry out microplastic monitoring in water bodies. Comprehensively grasp the status quo and change trend of regional microplastic pollution. In addition, the Commerce Department should guide and standardize the farmers' market to achieve unified purchase and sale of plastic shopping bags, and gradually promote alternative products; Stop using non-degradable single-use plastic shopping bags by the end of 2024.

The national standard "Carbon and Environmental Footprint of Plastic Biobased plastics Part 1: General Principles" will be formally implemented on February 1, 2023, which provides evaluation requirements and guidelines for the specific life cycle of biobased products. The view of experts and institutions on this provision, that it will boost the establishment of the carbon neutral standard system of the plastics industry, guide the green and low-carbon development of the industry, biodegradable plastics penetration is expected to continue to increase, demand is expected to grow rapidly.

France: Gradually ban single-use plastic packaging

From January 1, 2023, French fast food restaurants ushered in a new "plastic limit" - disposable plastic tableware must be replaced with reusable tableware. This is a new regulation in France to restrict the use of plastic products in the catering field after the prohibition of the use of plastic packaging boxes and the prohibition of the provision of plastic straws.

In French supermarkets, the details of the reduction in the use of plastic products can be felt: the labels of most products clearly indicate how they are sorted and recycled; Electronic products and other products are marked whether they can be repaired and the parts required for maintenance information to provide reference for subsequent product recycling; Supermarkets are also encouraging bulk sales and less packaging. From 2021, more than 30 kinds of vegetables and fruits such as cucumbers and oranges in French supermarkets will no longer be packaged with plastic film, and consumers can bring reusable appliances to buy bulk goods.

According to the French Ministry of Ecological Transformation, there are about 5.5 million tons of daily packaging sold in France every year, of which 20% is plastic packaging, and it is usually single-use. France is gradually increasing the share of products in reusable packaging, aiming to reach 5% of reusable packaging products on the market by 2023 and 10% by 2027.

"Manufacturers should reduce excessive packaging at the source, and local governments should improve waste sorting systems in public places and carry out popular science campaigns for consumers to further increase recycling rates." The French Consumer Association pointed out that the problem of excessive plastic packaging in France is prominent, and the proportion of plastic recycling needs to be improved.

In recent years, France has increased its efforts to "limit plastic" and passed the "Anti-Waste Law for circular Economy", which aims to gradually reduce the use of disposable plastic products, promote the development of alternative and reusable materials, prohibit disposable plastic packaging, promote non-packaging sales, and promote the realization of national ecological transformation goals. The law plans a road map for the total ban on disposable plastic packaging: by 2025, 100% recycling of plastic products will be achieved, and strive to reduce unnecessary disposable plastic packaging; Halve the amount of single-use plastic bottles sold by 2030. The bill takes five years as a measurement stage, quantifies the corresponding policies according to the actual situation, and ultimately achieves the goal of reducing the use of single-use plastic products to zero by 2040.

Thailand: Strengthening public-private partnerships to reduce plastic use

In order to tackle the problem of plastic waste, Thailand has been continuing to promote the Management of Plastic Waste Roadmap 2018-2030. The roadmap adheres to the principle of "use less, reuse and recycle", strengthens public-private cooperation, promotes responsible consumption and production, and achieves circular economy. According to the roadmap, Thailand will ban the use of plastic microbeads, oxidation-degradable plastics and other plastic products by the end of 2019, stop the use of lightweight plastic bags less than 36 microns in thickness, plastic straws, styrofoam food boxes, plastic cups, etc., and achieve the goal of 100% recycling plastic waste by 2027. At the end of November 2019, Thailand approved the "plastic ban" proposal proposed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, banning major shopping centers and convenience stores from providing disposable plastic bags from January 1, 2020.

Public-private cooperation is an important part of Thailand's promotion of "plastic limit". In 2018, under the Public-Private Partnership for Plastics and Waste Management, governments and public institutions, the private sector, academia, civil society organizations and others worked together on plastic and waste management, with the main goal of reducing the use of plastic products and reusing plastic waste. Under the program, Thailand has increased plastic waste collection points; Industrial manufacturers have established the "Thai Plastic Recycling Alliance" to recycle, manage and reuse plastic waste from manufacturing processes; Dozens of leading Thai companies have formed the Thailand Business Council for Sustainable Development to collaborate with the Thai Environmental Institute and others on environmental practices and to raise public awareness of environmental issues.

At present, the Thai Retailers Association and shopping malls, supermarkets, convenience stores, etc. cooperate to stop providing plastic bags on the fourth day of each month, and consumers who do not use plastic bags can get bonus points. This campaign reduced the use of plastic bags by about 2 billion in 2019 alone. After the "plastic limit" was passed, the Thai Retailers Association and the government launched a "Say No to plastic bags every day" campaign, and about 24,500 distribution channels of the association's 75 members stopped providing plastic bags from January 1, 2020.

Thailand will ban the import of plastic waste by 2025. The first phase, starting in 2023, will determine the amount of plastic waste to be restricted based on actual production capacity; Starting in 2024, only 50% of plastic waste will be allowed to be imported; A total ban on the import of all plastic waste by 2025. Thailand's Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Vorawu, said this was an important step in getting Thailand rid of plastic waste.

Germany: Increase recycling rates to promote circular economy

Walk into any supermarket in Berlin, you can always see customers at the entrance with large bags of empty bottles busy in front of the bottle return machine, soft plastic bottles 0.25 euros, hard plastic bottles 0.15 euros... When all the bottles are released, the customer receives a supermarket voucher, which is also the deposit already paid for the bottled drink. Today, this empty bottle recycling policy has become a unique example of the circular economy in Germany.

The plastic bottles recycled by these supermarket bottle removal machines participate in the circular economy in different forms: hard plastic bottles are sorted, collected by professional recycling companies, transported to beverage manufacturers, cleaned, sterilized and refilled to market, and can be reused about 25 times; Soft plastic bottles (PET plastic bottles) are compressed and sent to plastic recycling enterprises, chopped and reduced into plastic particles for the manufacture of new plastic bottles, textiles or other plastic products. According to the statistics of the German Packaging Market Research Association, 34% of the recycled PET plastic bottles are used to produce new beverage bottles, 27% are used to produce plastic bags, 22.6% are used to produce textile fabrics, 16.4% are used for others, and the overall recycling rate reaches 93.4%.

According to Thomas Fischer, head of circular economy at Environmental Action Germany, an environmental group, the recycling rate of empty bottles in Germany is already more than 98%. This successful experience has led to new commercial innovations, and in addition to beverage bottles, some companies have also launched specialized recycling containers for bathroom products.

In Germany, plastic beverage bottles will be marked with 100% renewable plastic in a prominent position, biscuits, snacks, pasta and other food bags have also begun to use a large number of renewable plastics, and even in the supermarket warehouse, packaging product films, plastic boxes and pallets for delivery, are also made of renewable plastics.

The continuous improvement of plastic recycling in Germany is related to the increasing popularity of environmental protection concepts and the tightening of product packaging laws in Germany and the European Union. The process is accelerating amid high energy prices. At present, Germany is trying to further promote the "plastic limit" in reducing the amount of packaging, advocating the implementation of reusable packaging, expanding high-quality closed-loop recycling, and setting mandatory recycling indicators for plastic packaging. Germany's move is becoming an important standard in the EU.

Austria: Supermarkets will fully introduce a deposit system for plastic bottles and cans

In the fight to reduce waste and promote a circular economy, the Austrian government is revising two measures that directly affect the retail sector. From January 2024, supermarkets will be obliged to provide between 10 and 15 per cent of their total reusable packaging for beer, water, juice, milk and soft drinks.

Fixed plastic bottles and cans cost 25 cents more

In addition, to meet the EU target, a deposit system for plastic bottles and cans will be introduced in 2025. This provides for 77 percent of single-use plastic bottles to be collected by 2025 and even 90 percent by 2029. €110 million to switch to one-time deposits and reusable bottles

According to a statement, supermarket chain Hofer is now the first discount store in Austria to invest in beverage container recycling and, together with circular economy leader "Tomra ", offers its consumers empty container return machines (like milk glass bottles). Deposits for plastic bottles and cans can cost up to 30 cents.

"This service is not only good for the environment, but also has a positive impact on the customer!" In Austria, 63,000 tons of cans and plastic bottles are sent into the environmentally friendly circular economy each year, according to the supermarket, killing two birds with one stone.

UK: Supermarkets will fully introduce a deposit system for plastic bottles and cans

The UK government recently launched plans to introduce a deposit system in England, Northern Ireland and Wales, starting on 1 October 2025. After the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) completes a consultation on the regulations, its deposit regulations will be in place by the end of 2023, with the deposit system officially starting on 1 October 2025.

DEFRA confirmed that the deposit system in England and Northern Ireland will cover PET, steel and aluminium drink containers, but not glass bottles, as the government believes it will add complexity and challenges, particularly in the retail and hospitality industries. The Welsh mechanism will include glass bottles. The containers covered in all three areas are 50 ml to 3 l solvent.

Another step is for the government to appoint a deposit management organization, with a deadline of summer 2024. The collection rate is targeted at 90% for the first three-year reporting period and annually thereafter.

Australia: Victoria will ban single-use plastic products

According to the Daily Mail on January 27, the Australian state of Victoria will ban the use of single-use plastic products, including cutlery, straws and other items, from February 1, 2023. Companies that violate the rules could be fined up to $54,000 (366,000 yuan).

Starting February 1, it will be illegal to supply or sell single-use plastic straws, drink mixers, cutlery, plates and cotton swabs in the Australian state of Victoria. Businesses caught using the items will be fined $1,849. Under the ban, companies could face a maximum fine of $54,000, but only in rare cases, such as when companies knowingly sell single-use plastic products as reusable items. Individuals who violate the rules could face a $370 fine, though the government says only those who repeatedly violate the rules will be punished.