China promotes bamboo as eco-friendly substitute for plastics

BEIJING, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- China has initiated a three-year action plan to promote the use of bamboo as an alternative to plastic products to curb pollution.

According to the plan, issued by state organs including the National Development and Reform Commission, by 2025, bamboo items used as a replacement for plastics would see further improvement in their quality, variety, scale and profitability.

By then, the added value of these bamboo items will increase by 20 percent compared with the 2022 level, while the utilization rate of bamboo materials will rise by 20 percentage points.

Efforts will focus on areas such as sci-tech innovation, the connection between production and sales, social publicity and international cooperation, according to the action plan.

Along with the action plan, a list has also been released consisting of major items in which plastic materials will be substituted by bamboo.

The plan also called for improving laws and regulations and standard authentication and more public procurement activities to help facilitate the substitution.