Zheng Dai, President of China Synthetic Resin Association: From the open-loop linear mode to the closed-loop circulation mode——In an interview, he talked about the problems and countermeasures of plastic recycling in my country

[CCN] 2021 is the first anniversary of the official implementation of the new "Plastic Restriction Order", and plastic recycling has attracted widespread attention this year
.
What do you think are the current problems in plastic recycling in my country? How to promote plastic recycling?

[Zheng Kai] At present, the world's major economies generally take the development of circular economy as the basic path to break the constraints of resources and environment, deal with climate change, and cultivate new economic growth points
.
In China, controlling plastic pollution and green development has become the core proposition of major industry reforms and improving the comprehensive utilization of plastic resources
.
But after careful analysis, the source of pollution is still due to the unreasonable use of resources
.
In the past, our practice was to "medicate the head with a headache, and treat the foot with a sore foot".
We paid too much attention to the prevention and control of back-end pollution, and did not make enough efforts in the rational use of resources
.
Therefore, General Secretary Xi proposed "to seize the source of resource utilization, promote total resource management, scientific allocation, comprehensive conservation and recycling, and comprehensively improve resource utilization efficiency", and particularly emphasized "high-quality development and efficient resource utilization.
" Utilization is the key to solving environmental problems.

”

We always believe that the problem of plastic pollution is not caused by the plastic itself, but by the imperfect methods of human use and management of plastic
.
In order to completely solve the problem of plastic pollution, the first step is to improve the recycling performance of plastic products and ensure a smooth and smooth circulation path, thereby minimizing environmental leakage
.
This is the focus of solving the problem of plastic pollution
.
Practice has proved that "end treatment" is a cost-effective measure.
Only by closely integrating source prevention, process control and end treatment can the problem of environmental pollution be fundamentally solved
.

【CCN】What challenges are domestic recycled resin companies currently facing? How to break through?

[Zheng Kai] If there is no sufficient recycling market and recycling application, it is difficult for plastic recycling to have a closed-loop economic power
.
Especially when the cost of new materials is low and the price of recycled plastics is not competitive enough
.
Therefore, it is more necessary to adopt policy encouragement and appropriate compulsory use
.
To establish a proportional use system for recycled materials is to use policy guidance and the laws of the market to promote the recovery and recycling of plastics
.
In this way, not only can the system be guaranteed, but also specific measures can be gradually implemented, and finally the problem of plastic pollution can be solved from the root
.
The United Kingdom, Italy and the United States, for example, will all collect a packaging tax from 2022
.
That is to say, an additional tax of £200/t or €400/t or $450/t is added to the sales packaging material (plastic), but this tax can be waived if 30% recycled materials are added
.
These measures are to ensure that recycled materials can be accepted by the market and to apply recycled plastics to normal processing
.

Therefore, establishing a proportional addition and use system of recycled materials is a governance measure that is sustainable, market-oriented, low-cost, highly targeted, has the best practical effect, and is most in line with the laws of economic and social development
.
Therefore, we call for: as soon as possible to build a complete system management system (including the establishment of the minimum usage and corporate self-commitment usage system), as well as a series of laws and regulations such as the certification evaluation and data traceability system of recycled materials; and through the industry management department and Market supervision departments strengthen monitoring, fully guide the society to use recycled materials, and at the same time avoid market supply and demand imbalances and turbulence
.

The establishment of a whole-process traceability and certification system for the source of waste plastics and recycled materials, as well as ensuring the authenticity and reliability of statistical and accounting data, are the premise and guarantee for the safety of plastic recycling
.
Without these accurate data as a reference, it is difficult to fundamentally solve the problem of difficult decision-making of recycled materials
.
It is hoped that the country will establish relevant data statistics and standard systems as soon as possible, as well as designate management and certification agencies
.
Otherwise, without strict control, it will return to the past: because there is no basis for laws and regulations, illegal enterprises have the opportunity to take advantage of illegal means to process and make profits, which not only endangers society and affects health, but also leads to the phenomenon of bad money driving out good money.
happen
.
If such chaos is not stopped, the healthy development of the plastic recycling market will be impossible
.

Regarding recycling technology, physical recycling is the most direct, most economical, most efficient, and least energy-consumption and resource-consuming method
.
However, chemical recycling will still be vigorously carried out in the future, especially those waste plastics that have undergone multiple physical recycling for chemical recycling
.
Because only through chemical recycling can a complete closed loop be truly achieved
.

【CCN】What kind of new trends will the plastic recycling industry show in the future? What opportunities does it bring to the synthetic resin industry?

[Zheng Da] The overall development trend of the future industry is: from resin synthesis, plastic modification, plastic products, brand enterprises, distribution enterprises to final consumption, we must gradually move from an open-loop linear model to a closed-loop cyclic model
.
That is to say, from the production of raw materials to consumption, and then through recycling and processing into raw materials for production, a closed-loop system with interconnected links and extremely high resource utilization is formed
.
At the same time, we must also try to improve the reusability of plastic products and realize the development of reduction
.

In the future plastic industry, whether it is raw material production, equipment manufacturing, or even processing, it is necessary to integrate material performance, product design, product processing, etc.
into green and sustainable development
.
The future market is not what kind of materials we can provide, but what kind of materials the ecological environment needs us to provide
.
In the future, the industry will face, firstly, how to give full play to the performance advantages of plastics to serve human beings; secondly, how to limit or eliminate the impact of plastics on the sustainable development of society
.

[CCN] In 2021, what work has the association done to promote plastic recycling? What progress has been made? What other new deployments are coming in 2022?

[Zheng Wei] In 2021, the association will mainly do the following work in promoting plastic recycling:

First, assist the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to implement the "Industry Specifications for Comprehensive Utilization of Waste Plastics", complete the relevant work of the three-year action plan, and help enterprises meet the standards;

The second is to participate in the promotion and construction of waste-free cities by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and to promote the concept of waste-free cities;

The third is to join the MacArthur Foundation and UNEP's "New Plastics Economy Global Commitment" initiative;

The fourth is to organize and study some practices of the North American Plastics Recycling Association (APR) and the European Plastics Recycling Association (PRE), and guide enterprises to gradually get on the right track;

The fifth is to organize the compilation of "Guidelines for Recyclable and Recyclable Design of Plastic Products" to help enterprises solve practical problems of recycling;

Sixth, participate in the formulation, promotion and implementation of the "Double Easy" standard to help enterprises improve the closed-circuit system
.

In the next step, the association will vigorously promote the construction of laws, regulations and standards in the industry, carry out specific planning and implementation of the safeguard measures involved in the development of circular economy, ensure the legalization, standardization, marketization and standardization of circular economy development, and strive to build policy guarantees system, and formulate relevant standards and systems
.
In the next few years, the association will work with a group of representative enterprises to jointly establish green group standards and green labels, and help relevant government departments and parks to establish and improve the quality and safety risk management system for product recycling and remanufacturing; plan to apply for relevant national standards and hire The certification body uses group standards and national standards as the basis for product testing, inspection and certification, and strives to create a group of intelligent closed benchmark enterprises and demonstration parks for environmental protection and recycling
.