China pushes for bamboo to replace plastics

Editor's note: China Daily is publishing a series illustrating the country's efforts to achieve its carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals.

The versatility of bamboo has long been known in China, where the giant woody grass has been utilized since the 11th century BC, taking the form of any number of useful items from food, transport and weapons to housing, paper and instruments.

China has 7.01 million hectares of bamboo forests and is the world's largest producer and exporter of bamboo products, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

The nation's bamboo forests account for an area similar in size to the entirety of Ireland.

It's estimated that the world produces around 400 million metric tons of plastic waste each year, and bamboo has arisen as a viable and environmentally friendly replacement due to its versatility and higher level of biodegradability.

At the forefront of the movement to replace plastics with bamboo are major bamboo production areas in China such as Zhejiang, Fujian, Sichuan, Guangdong and Anhui provinces.

In Anji, a county in northwestern Zhejiang province, bamboo is already replacing plastic in various products, from single-use takeaway cutlery to toothbrushes and combs used in hotels and homestays.

With 666 square kilometers of bamboo forests, an area about 80 percent of the size of New York City, and a long-standing history of bamboo use, Anji is serving as a model in advancing bamboo as an alternative to plastic.

In 2023, China launched a three-year plan to accelerate the industrial development of bamboo as a substitute for plastic with Anji designated as one of the first demonstration bases.

Bai Xia, who manages Anji's bamboo products exhibition center that showcases the innovative uses of the plant, said, "Since 2022, bamboo food trays have been replacing plastic ones in local government canteens and affiliated bodies."