Plastic Limitation Provisions Spread Globally and Need to be Actively Addressed

Trade Association issued the Major International Plastic Restriction Regulations and Innovative Business Model, pointing out that with the worldwide intensification of restrictions on the use of plastics, we should be prepared beforehand and pay attention to new markets.

According to the statistics survey of market research institute, the world plastic production reached 348 million tons in 2017, with an average growth rate of 42% in the past decade, and the waste plastic production reached 242 million tons in 2016.

With plastic being gradually considered as the main waste endangering the earth's environment, the number of countries restricting the use of plastics has increased sharply since 2015. Not only developed countries in Europe attaching importance to environmental protection, but also countries introducing policies restricting the use of plastics in Africa and Southeast Asia are increasing.

At present, about 64 countries have introduced regulations prohibiting or restricting the use of plastics.

The use of disposable plastic, such as plastic bags, straw and plastic foam, has been banned from the local government level in the US and Australia. The area of plastic restriction has been increasing. In 1998, the local government in India restricted the use of plastics. In 2016, the national regulations on the management of plastic wastes were formulated to prohibit non renewable plastics from the national level.

In 2015, the EU's "Plastic Bag Prohibition Amendment Act" came into force. In January 2018, the EU issued the "Plastic Strategy in the European Circular Economy". In May, it launched the "Prohibition of Disposable Plastic Products from the Market" and other plastic restriction proposals to strengthen the plastic exit policy. The goal is to prohibit the use of disposable plastics such as straws, cotton swabs, disposable cups, plates and balloons until 2021. The report suggests that attention should be paid to the relevant restrictions and market changes, the risks and opportunities brought about by the use of plastics, and that environmental protection should be used as a means of value innovation to formulate new competitive strategies and solve problems comprehensively.

With the worldwide intensification of restrictions on the use of plastics, environmental protection enterprises that break away from plastics have attracted much attention. Easy2cool, Germany, provides the best thermal insulation packaging solution, environmental protection insulating packaging materials (boxes, bags, etc.) that can be refrigerated for up to three days, and an electrically-powerless cooling system for transportation and logistics, and achieves revenue generation.

RePack in Poland provides an environmentally friendly packaging return service that can be recycled more than 20 times and reduce carbon dioxide by up to 80% compared with traditional packaging materials. It aims at e-commerce enterprises and generates revenue through packaging material return and compensation system sales. Hipcycle in the United States provides various comments on the detailed analysis and comparison of recycled products to help small and medium-sized recyclable enterprises sell their products, make it easier for consumers to make decisions on environmental shopping, and strive to solve the global waste problem.

Trade Association said that with the strengthening of relevant regulations on plastics around the world, if it is not time to understand the contents of the regulations, should take care not to hinder export.