The ban on plastics has been implemented for 4 months, the prices of raw materials have risen, enterprises are busy expanding production, and standard supervision urgently needs to keep up

After the "plastic ban" came into effect for four months, a reporter from the Shanghai Securities News found that in local supermarkets, drugstores and other degradable plastics replacing "bags", the market demand for biodegradable plastics has surged, and companies have announced production expansions
.

"After the implementation of the'plastic ban', many more companies of various types have participated
.

In order to help companies adapt to the market faster and integrate resources, we are preparing to establish relevant industry associations

Industry insiders said that the degradable plastics industry under the policy support is expected to generate a huge market space of 100 billion yuan
.

But for the imagination space to become a reality, relevant standards and regulatory policies still need to keep up

Plastic bags "replacement" in some areas

Plastic bags "replacement" in some areas

"Boss, give me a bag.
.
.
" "The bag is 8 corners
.

" "So expensive! Let's come one

"The bags in our store are made of special materials.
Many convenience stores in Shanghai use this kind of bags, and the price is correspondingly more expensive
.

Because fruits are heavier and less effortless to carry, many people buy them every day

The "Opinions on Further Strengthening the Treatment of Plastic Pollution" issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment last year stated that by the end of 2020, the catering industry across the country will ban the use of non-degradable disposable plastic straws and the production and sale of disposable foamed plastic tableware.
; The use of non-degradable plastic bags in shopping malls, supermarkets, pharmacies, bookstores, etc.
in urban built-up areas in municipalities, provincial capitals, and cities separately designated in the plan is prohibited
.

At present, many large supermarkets in many places have begun to use biodegradable plastic bags
.

In Beijing, the reporter found in a supermarket store that small biodegradable plastic bags cost 0.

Beginning on December 1 last year, Hainan Province took the lead in the country to completely ban the sale and use of 10 types of plastic film bags, tableware and other disposable plastic products
.

The reporter found in a small supermarket near Haikou East Station that the store uses fully degradable plastic bags

However, in many areas, there is still the widespread use of ordinary plastic bags
.

In a fruit and vegetable shop in a southern city, after weighing, the clerk skillfully puts fruits and vegetables in plastic bags of different sizes, red or green, according to different "physiques," without extra charge.
For the convenience of customers, the clerk still uses different small plastic bags.

During the interview, many consumers reported to reporters that biodegradable bags are softer than ordinary plastic bags and are easier to break when used
.

In addition to the hand feel and gloss, everyone is generally not clear about the identification and icon of the biodegradable plastic bag

Surging market demand, companies busy expanding production

Surging market demand, companies busy expanding production

Under the most stringent "plastic ban", the demand for degradable plastic products has increased significantly
.
The reporter found in a number of WeChat exchange groups in the biodegradable industry that product information is refreshing every day
.

"We are a plastic bag factory that makes biodegradable bags, fruit and vegetable OPP bags, and fruit and vegetable PE bags
.
It can be customized and available in stock
.
" A Guangdong degradable plastic bag dealer told reporters that the company currently has more than 10 different sizes and different >
.

A person in charge of a degradable plastic raw material company told reporters that because of the explosive growth of the company's orders, employees have been working overtime during the Spring Festival this year.
The company has also installed a new production line to meet customer order requirements
.

"At present, biodegradable plastic bags are mainly supplied to large supermarkets and some large international chain companies
.
" The above-mentioned distributors said that if the "plastic ban" is fully implemented in the future, the gap in potential market demand may increase
.

What is the potential demand space in the biodegradable plastics market? According to industry analysis, as the market focuses on new green materials such as PBAT (polybutylene adipate) and PLA (polylactic acid), it is estimated that a huge market space of 100 billion yuan will be generated
.

"Previously, the actual production capacity of PBAT was small, mainly for overseas markets
.
Now that domestic demand is increasing, the company is gradually expanding its production capacity
.
" The relevant person in charge of A-share listed company Kingfa Technology said that the company will closely integrate the trend of domestic policy changes and market demand.
Circumstances, the construction and commissioning of the subsequent 180,000-ton PBAT plant will be promoted in due course
.

The increase in demand for degradable plastic products has a significant effect on the price of upstream raw materials
.
According to the reporter's understanding, the price of raw material PBAT has risen all the way, reaching 32,000 yuan/ton to 35,000 yuan/ton since the beginning of this year.
Before the "plastic ban" came into effect, the price of PBAT was basically around 18,000 yuan/ton
.

Among them, BDO (butanediol) is the main driver of the price increase of PBAT
.
"Although PBAT only accounts for about 5% of BDO's total production capacity, the substantial price increase of BDO at the end of 2020 will have a huge impact on the PBAT industry.
BDO has increased by more than 20,000 yuan in a single month, the highest in history
.
" The person in charge of Kingfa Technology told Reporter
.

"With the gradual expansion of the biodegradable plastics market, PBAT may become the main factor in the price increase of BDO in the future,
" said Zhen Guangming, chief scientist of the World Ecological Organization's China Representative Office
.

According to Zhen Guangming's analysis, the current open and planned PBAT production capacity in the market is about 7 million tons
.
With the gradual expansion of BDO (currently under construction and planned construction of about 4 million tons), it is expected that it will be able to match the current expansion demand within 1 to 2 years at the earliest
.

Relevant standard supervision urgently needs to keep up

Relevant standard supervision urgently needs to keep up

From the supply side, strengthening supervision has become the key to policy advancement
.
Zhang Xinke said that the cost of non-degradable plastics (about 10,000 yuan per ton) is much lower than the current cost of degradable plastics.
If there is no policy promotion, it is difficult for the market and consumers to "pay the bill" for "degradable plastics market.
" There is a lot of room for imagination, but whether it can become a reality depends to a large extent on the intensity of execution
.
"

Although the policy level clarifies the ban on the production and sale of plastic products and the range of banned and restricted plastic products, there is currently no unified regulation on how to define the standard "degradable plastic products"
.

As one of the main substitutes after the implementation of the "plastic ban", products such as photooxidation degradation and non-woven fabrics have been controversial
.
Taking photo-oxidation degradation as an example, in the opinion of some people in the industry, the addition of non-degradable components such as PE (polyethylene) to photo-oxidation degradation is obviously "pseudo-degradable"
.
The mulch film fragments disintegrated in the degradation process cannot continue to be degraded into water and carbon dioxide, and long-term accumulation will cause greater residual film pollution to the natural environment
.
In addition, photo-oxidation degradation will form microplastics, which enter the soil, groundwater, and even enter the food chain, which is extremely harmful
.

The "Definition, Classification, Labeling and Degradability Requirements for Degradable Plastics" (GB/T 20197) was implemented in 2007.
The definition of degradable plastics includes photodegradable plastics
.
In November last year, the National Standardization Administration issued three recommended national standard plans, including the "Definition, Classification, Labeling, and Degradability Requirements for Degradable Plastics," to the National Technical Committee for Standardization of Bio-based Materials and Degradable Products
.
The reporter logged on to the national standard information public service platform and found that the above-mentioned national standard plan is currently "soliciting opinions
.
"

In the field of recycling, there are also lagging problems in the classification, recycling, transportation, resource utilization, and harmless disposal of degradable plastic waste
.
During the interview, the reporter found that the most suitable treatment method for degradable plastic products is industrial composting.
However, about 80% of the kitchen waste treatment facilities built in various parts of China are anaerobic fermentation treatment technology, and the composting technology is not used.
Much
.

"Compared with anaerobic fermentation, composting technology takes longer
.
Not only is the number of domestic composting plants relatively small, and due to economic considerations, they are also reluctant to receive waste containing biodegradable materials
.
At present, some communities are already experimenting.
The back-end composting treatment of small waste can be piloted and promoted in some cities in the future
.
" An expert from the Institute of Biodegradable Materials told reporters
.

Since the most stringent "plastic ban" came into effect at the beginning of this year, supermarkets and takeaways across the country have begun to introduce plastic reduction measures and transitional measures, and consumers are also choosing to use biodegradable plastic products
.
The price of raw materials has risen, companies have started to expand production, and the degradable plastics industry under the policy support is expected to generate a huge market space of 100 billion yuan
.
But for the imagination space to become a reality, relevant standards and regulatory policies still need to keep up
.