Shopping bags, straws, stirring sticks, takeaway boxes, express packaging... These plastic products have become the key to Beijing's future plastic pollution control. Recently, the "Beijing Plastic Pollution Control Action Plan (2020-2025)" (referred to as "10 Plastic Limits") was officially issued and implemented.

The relevant person in charge of the Municipal Development and Reform Commission introduced yesterday that the "10 Plastic Limits" put forward specific requirements for the city's plastic pollution control from ten aspects, focusing on six key industries such as catering, takeaway platforms, wholesale and retail, e-commerce express delivery, accommodation and exhibition, and agricultural production to strengthen plastic reduction efforts. By the end of this year, the city will ban the production and sale of disposable foam plastic tableware and disposable plastic cotton swabs, the city's catering industry will ban the use of non-degradable disposable plastic straws, the city's express delivery outlets will have a "slimming tape" packaging ratio of 90%, and the use rate of recycled transit bags will reach more than 95%; the city's built-up area takeaway (including dine-in packaging) services are prohibited from using non-degradable plastic bags, and shopping malls, supermarkets, pharmacies, bookstores and other retail stores (including retail delivery services provided by stores or e-commerce) are prohibited from using non-degradable plastic bags.

Encourage supermarkets to clearly mark prices for plastic roll bags

By the end of this year, the use of non-degradable plastic bags will be prohibited in shopping malls, supermarkets, pharmacies, bookstores and other retail stores in the city's built-up areas (including retail delivery services provided by stores or e-commerce), and the use of non-degradable plastic bags will be regulated and restricted in the market. By the end of 2023, the purchase and sale of plastic shopping bags in the market in the built-up areas of the city will be fully centralized, and the sub-center of the city and the ecological conservation area will be encouraged to take the lead in stopping the use of non-degradable plastic bags in towns, townships and rural markets. By the end of 2025, the use of non-degradable plastic bags will be prohibited in the market in the built-up areas of the city. In addition, the city will also encourage the exploration of gradually implementing the clear price marking of plastic roll bags and charging the price of plastic roll bags separately from the commodity price, so as to guide consumers to reduce the use of plastic roll bags.

These plastic shopping bags are banned and restricted, what shopping bags can the people choose?

"Starting next year, Jingkelong will provide degradable plastic bags to the people." The relevant person in charge of Jingkelong Supermarket told reporters yesterday that compared with the plastic bags that customers bought in the supermarket before, this kind of degradable plastic bag is more expensive, but it is still recommended that customers try not to use plastic bags, and they can bring cloth bags and other shopping bags by themselves.

The relevant person in charge of the Municipal Development and Reform Commission said that the city encourages and guides consumers to use environmentally friendly cloth bags, paper bags and other types of reusable packaging materials, encourages retail enterprises to set up self-service, intelligent reusable shopping bag sales devices to facilitate the lives of the people, and encourages supermarkets and collective markets to explore the provision of shopping baskets and shopping cart rental services to guide consumers to reduce the use of plastic shopping bags.

Non-degradable express packaging bags will be banned after two years

In the "10 plastic restrictions", the express delivery industry has also become a focus of governance. According to the plan, by the end of 2020, the proportion of "slimming tape" packaging in the city's express delivery outlets will reach 90%, and the utilization rate of recycled transfer bags will reach more than 95%; by the end of 2022, the city's express delivery outlets will be prohibited from using non-degradable plastic packaging bags, disposable plastic woven bags, etc., and recycled transfer bags will basically achieve full coverage; by the end of 2025, the city's express delivery outlets will be prohibited from using non-degradable plastic tape.

It is reported that the city encourages e-commerce and express delivery companies to reduce problems such as tape winding, filler use and excessive packaging, use foldable and recyclable packaging products and logistics distribution equipment to replace disposable plastic packaging, cooperate to implement integrated packaging of commodity logistics, avoid secondary packaging, and jointly build a public recycling platform.

"This kind of express box can be used at least 50 times, and there are already 100,000 in Beijing." At the press conference yesterday, the relevant person in charge of SF Express also showed reporters the recycled express box. This kind of express box has a zipper at the opening, so there is no need to use tape; items can also be fixed inside, so there is no need for fillers; after completing a delivery, it can also be recycled.

In terms of "eating", by the end of 2020, the city's catering industry will be prohibited from using non-degradable disposable plastic straws; takeaway services (including dine-in packaging) in the city's built-up areas will be prohibited from using non-degradable plastic bags; dine-in services in the city's built-up areas and scenic spots will be prohibited from using non-degradable disposable plastic tableware, and catering dine-in services are encouraged to use washable, disinfected and reusable tableware. By the end of June 2021, the city's catering industry will be prohibited from using non-degradable disposable plastic coffee stirrers.

The focus is on takeaway platforms. The city encourages takeaway platforms to set options such as "no tableware required" in the ordering process and give rewards in the form of points.

With the implementation of these measures, Beijing citizens will usher in a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.

Plastic pollution will be eliminated along the railway line

The "10 plastic restrictions" focus on four key places, including stadiums, tourist attractions, cultural facilities, and transportation stations. They will pilot the separate recycling of takeaway boxes, plastic packaging bags, plastic beverage bottles and other plastic waste in combination with the characteristics of their respective plastic waste generation. Plastic pollution control will also be promoted in four key areas, namely rivers, highways, railways, and back streets and alleys.

For rivers and along the roads, white pollution control will continue to be carried out along key river sections such as adjacent water source protection areas and residential areas; along highways, plastic pollution control will be carried out along key sections such as expressways and urban trunk roads, and a long-term mechanism will be established and improved; along railways, daily inspections and coordinated handling of problems will be strengthened, the environmental landscape along the railways will be improved, and plastic pollution will be eliminated.

At the same time, the focus will be on back streets and alleys in key areas such as central urban areas, new towns, and urban-rural fringe areas, and plastic pollution control will be included in the "three guarantees in front of the door" responsibility system, household waste classification and other related work.

The ¡°10 Articles on Plastic Restriction¡± put forward three-stage goals to promote the work of plastic pollution control in an orderly manner:

The first stage is that by 2022, the city¡¯s plastic pollution control policy and standard system will be initially established, plastic pollution control measures in key areas will be fully implemented, the consumption of disposable plastic products will be significantly reduced, alternative products will be promoted, and the demonstration and leading role of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics will be fully played; the second stage is that by 2023, plastic pollution in key places and key areas along the city will be basically eliminated, and basic systems such as reporting by key plastic-using units will be basically established; the third stage is that by 2025, the plastic pollution control system will be fully established, the scientific and technological support system will be more complete, and a good social trend of low-plastic living will be basically formed, and efforts will be made to become a model for plastic pollution control in international megacities.

In the production and sales of plastic products, the city has banned the production and sale of ultra-thin plastic shopping bags with a thickness of less than 0.025 mm and polyethylene agricultural mulch with a thickness of less than 0.01 mm; by the end of 2020, the city will ban the production and sale of disposable foamed plastic tableware and disposable plastic cotton swabs, and the production of daily chemical products containing plastic microbeads; by the end of 2022, the city will ban the sale of daily chemical products containing plastic microbeads.

News extension

Plastic restriction order absorbs social opinions and adjusts multiple measures

Reporters found that the formally implemented "10 plastic restrictions" absorbed social opinions and made a number of more practical adjustments.

In the part of plastic pollution control in the catering industry, the time for banning non-degradable disposable plastic coffee stirrers will be adjusted from the end of this year to the end of June 2021. "This is mainly in consideration of the actual situation of the inventory digestion of coffee stirrers and the procurement cycle of alternative products of catering companies, so a six-month buffer period is added." A relevant person in charge of the Municipal Development and Reform Commission said that at the same time, the straw replacement measures have also added reusable straws, encouraging catering companies to "use direct drinking cups and reusable straws that meet relevant hygiene and safety standards to replace disposable plastic straws."

In terms of green school creation, the "separate plastic bottle and other plastic waste recycling facilities are set up in sports venues, canteens and other areas where more plastic waste is generated" is adjusted to "in combination with actual conditions, separate plastic bottle and other plastic waste recycling facilities are set up in sports venues, canteens and other areas where more plastic waste is generated"; the measure of "implementing relevant national requirements and reducing the use of non-essential plastic products such as plastic book covers" is added.

"Some opinions and suggestions are basically consistent with the plastic control concept of the draft for comments, but due to the lack of relevant work foundation and mature experience, it is difficult to fully implement them. We will gradually explore and promote them in subsequent work." The person in charge gave examples, including using direct drinking water purifiers to replace plastic bottled water in scenarios such as accommodation and meetings, setting industry-wide and all-category disposable plastic product reduction targets and usage ledger systems, unifying plastic shopping bag product labels, centrally solving the problem of food delivery platforms still providing tableware after checking the option of not requiring tableware, issuing or revising government regulations to ensure the implementation of plastic pollution control measures, and establishing a centralized purchase and sales system for disposable packaging, a system for reducing the amount of disposable items and refunding fees, and a deposit system for durable substitutes.

However, some opinions and suggestions, such as proposing more mandatory plastic reduction measures for food delivery platforms, completely banning disposable plastic tableware and lunch boxes in schools and kindergartens, and banning disposable foam plastic boxes by the end of 2021, are difficult to implement due to the lack of superior legal basis and taking into account factors such as the normalization of epidemic prevention and control, and have not been adopted for the time being.

The "10 Plastic Restrictions" that were finally implemented also absorbed public opinions and added the measure of "the implementation of the reduction and replacement plans of disposable plastic products by e-commerce, food delivery and other platform companies must be released to the public."

This is precisely one of the key measures for the implementation of Beijing's "10 Plastic Restrictions". "The city will establish a reporting system for the use and recycling of disposable plastic products by key plastic-using units in the city based on actual conditions." The relevant person in charge of the Municipal Development and Reform Commission introduced that the pilot project will first establish a reporting system for the use of disposable plastic products by key plastic-using units in the fields of municipal party and government agencies, chain supermarkets, postal express delivery, catering food delivery, and e-commerce platforms. The relevant municipal industry authorities will study and determine the list of key plastic-using units based on the characteristics of industry development and announce it to the public, and will gradually improve it based on the pilot situation.

In addition, Beijing will also demonstrate and lead the whole society to participate in the treatment of plastic pollution. Especially in the party and government organs, stricter restrictions and substitution measures on plastic products will be implemented first to reduce the use of disposable gel pens and other plastic office supplies. The canteens of government units are prohibited from providing non-degradable disposable plastic tableware and cups. All kinds of meetings are not allowed to actively provide plastic bottled drinking water and disposable plastic cups. Participants are encouraged to bring their own drinking cups.

Reporter Cao Zheng

Plastic Industry Video