Malls, markets have to report on plastic use

MARKETS, mal ls, e- commerce platforms and delivery firms will be asked to report their utilization of single-use plastics to the authorities and also submit formal recycling plans, China’s commerce ministry said in proposals published yesterday.

The Ministry of Commerce said it had established a nationwide system for retailers to report their plastic consumption every six months as part of trial scheme to encourage recycling.

Plastic pollution has become one of China’s biggest challenges, with vast amounts buried in landfills or dumped in rivers. The rise in home food deliveries has also caused volumes to surge.

In September, the ministry said single- use plastic bags and eating utensils would be banned from major cities by the end of the year, while single- use straws would be banned nationwide.

Wang Wang, chairman of the China Scrap Plastic Association, said the bans would

“only resolve the most visible types of plastic pollution” and were just part of the country’s efforts to tackle waste.

From September, China has also prohibited some types of agricultural-use plastic film used to keep crops warm and moist.

Chinese farmers use around 1.5 million tons a year, but it leaves residues that damage the soil.

A new solid waste law also came into effect in September, raising fines tenfold for those who break rules and mandating the construction of new recycling infrastructure.

Wang said the business impact of the measures would be limited, with firms aware in advance that some products would be banned.

China produced 63 million tons of plastic in 2019, with a recycling rate of around 30 percent. It produces around 20 million tons of single-use non- biodegradable material annually, including 3 million tons of shopping bags.