HAIKOU, December 1. /TASS/. South China's Hainan on Tuesday banned the production, sale and use of single-use, non-degradable plastic items, according to Xinhua.
According to the news agency, the new rule primarily applies to packages and cutlery. It applies to products containing polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, ethyl vinyl acetate and polyethylene terephthalate. In accordance with the decree, in the future, the authorities intend to expand the list of prohibited plastic items.
According to the local administration, such a measure is "one of the model pilot projects aimed at transforming Hainan into an ecologically clean civilized zone."
At the same time, the Hainan authorities are systematically working to eliminate the use of many plastic items in government offices, public companies, schools and universities, according to statement. Also, the provincial administration is stimulating a reduction in sales of such products in big shopping malls. It is estimated that through appropriate policies, the local government will prevent plastic waste weighing tens or even hundreds of tonnes monthly.
At the same time, the authorities are encouraging the development of mass production of eco-friendly substitutes, helping to create efficient supply chains for goods from new materials. According to official figures, there are seven enterprises on the island able to meet the demand of Hainan residents for disposable products. In addition, the government is attracting specialists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and experts from Sinopec petrochemical corporation to the project. They are participating in the development of new raw materials, which, according to forecasts, will significantly reduce the scope of use of plastic goods in China by 2022-2023.
In the meantime, the Hainan administration continues to hold rallies and public events to encourage the population to gradually abandon the use of various types of plastic in everyday life.
Fighting for the ecology
Since April, the Hainan authorities have begun to gradually replace disposable plastic products from widespread use. In this regard, the construction of several factories was launched on the island, capable of producing tens of thousands of tonnes of various goods annually, the disposal and storage of which cannot negatively affect the environment. It is assumed that at the first stage, such products will be slightly more expensive than plastic ones, but as the scale of production increases, they will become significantly cheaper.
In January, the Chinese government launched a program to completely abandon polymers in a number of domestic applications by 2026, gradually replacing them with new materials. The authorities plan to create a diversified system for controlling plastic waste, tighten the regime for the entire cycle of production, transportation, sale and disposal of such goods. In accordance with this program, stores, restaurants, pharmacies and other places with lots of consumers will completely ban plastic packaging, cutlery and drinking straws in 2020 in the largest cities of China.