China’s Hainan Plastic Ban

On 1st June, the Chinese central government on Monday released a master plan for the Hainan free trade port, aiming to build the southern island province into a globally-influential high-level free trade port by the year of 2035.

As an experimental economic zone, a series of new policies are coming with this. There have been a lot of official papers regarding ban plastic bags in Hainan and encourage the use of biodegradable and compostable bags in the free trade zone.

On 28 May 2020, the Environment Protection Department of Hainan has inssued a prilimary ruling for reducing the use of single-use plastics.

The Goal

1. Ban and limit the use of some plastic products by end of 2020.
2. The consumption of single use plastics reduces dramatically by 2022. Biodegradables and compostable products are promoted. The capability of recycling the plastics get improved significantly. Build a green model for plastic use in e-commerce, express and waimai business.
3. By 2025 all production, sales and use on the list should be forbidden. A new system of recycle and reuse of plastic products should be built.

Policies

1. Ban and limit the production, sales, and use of certain plastic products
   1. By 1st Dec 2020, production, transport, sales, and the use of listed products should be banned.
   2. Ban the production and sales of polyethylene (PE) mulch film in agriculture
   3. Medical waste is not allowed to be used for the manufacturing of plastic products
   4. Stop the import of waste plastics.
   5. Plastic cotton swab and Microbead Cosmetics shall be banned.
   6. Star hotels in Hainan should not offer customers disposable plastic products by the end of 2022. The range expands to all hotels by the end of 2025.
2. Law Establishing
   1. Create a local standard for composting and biodegradable plastics. Including plastics for retail, agriculture, ocean, etc.
   2. Revise the plastic product ban list regularly. Add non-biodegradable PE mulch, disposable cotton swab, cutlery, express packaging, pp woven bag, and adhesive tapes into the ban list.
3. Promote Alternatives of Single-Use Plastics
   1. Recyclable plastics, 100% biodegradable plastic bag, reusable cotton bags, paper, and fiber cutlery.
   2. ATM for reusable bags in the supermarket, shopping mall, book shops, and drug shops
   3. Group buying for plastic bags in farmers’ market
   4. Promote biodegradable mulch film in agriculture in Hainan
   5. Encourage the compostable plastic industry in Hainan. The industry will be leading the bioplastics research, resin manufacturing, bioplastic products, certification and test, international trade, etc.
4. Regulate the Plastic Waste Management
   1. Civil waste sorting, including home waste, ship waste, and agricultural plastic waste.
   2. Reuse the plastic waste
      1. Encourage recycling by manufacturers.
      2. Setting up composting facilities in Hainan properly. Monitor the composting regularly.
      3. Reduce the emission level of trash burning. Reduce the amounts of plastic waste going to landfills.

The policy is getting real with the building of composting facitlies and time line of banning the traditional plastic packaging products.