China introduces nationwide ban on single-use plastics

China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has unveiled a major plan to reduce non-recyclable plastics across the country. Including a ban on single-use plastic straws and bags, the new policy will be carried out over the next five years.

According to the new policy, production, consumption and selling of single-use plastics will be slowly phased out by 2025 across China. The ban is planned to cover several different areas such as supermarkets, shopping malls, restaurants and delivery services.

Major cities are expected to comply with the new rules sooner, while smaller towns or rural areas would need more time to adjust, NDRC stated in a detailed timeframe.

Thus, non-recyclable bags used in supermarkets and shopping malls will be banned in major cities by the end of 2020 and in all cities and towns by 2022. China, as a whole, is expected to be fully compliant to this new policy by 2025.

By end of this year, using single-use straws in the restaurant industry will also be forbidden. Small towns and cities across China will be obliged to lower the use of non-degradable plastic materials in restaurants by 30% in the next five years.