Beijing: Chinese bamboo is leading the way in sustainable replacement of plastic. In 2023, the Chinese government and the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization published the “Global Action Plan for Bamboo Plastic Substitutes” (2023-2030). This ambitious plan outlines six key goals and 23 specific actions to drive a global shift from plastic to bamboo.
China has 837 bamboo sources, 837 species of bamboo. Bamboo forests cover an area of 7.56 million hectares and produce more than 150 million tons of bamboo per year, said Wang Ge, a researcher at the International Center for Bamboo and Rattan (ICBR) of the National Forest and Grassland Administration.
As of this year, more than 20 industrial bases dedicated to bamboo-based plastic alternatives are under construction or planned in China’s 17 bamboo-producing provinces. This increase in activity shows the enormous potential of bamboo. Today, there are more than 10,000 bamboo products that are used in various fields, from daily goods to industrial production, construction materials and even agriculture.
Hangzhou, in central China’s Hubei province, is rich in bamboo resources, and local residents continue the tradition of weaving bamboo household items, a skill now recognized as intangible cultural heritage. The local government provides subsidies to the heirs of this intangible heritage, encourage farmers to engage in bamboo weaving in their free time, preserving the craft and increasing their income.
“Bamboo weavers can earn an additional 20,000 yuan a year from this craft alone,” said Hanchuan farmer Cai Xiaodong.
China’s bamboo industry employs more than 29 million people, of which more than 19 million are farmers, more than 65 percent of the total workforce.
In addition, there are more than 10,000 bamboo processing factories in the bamboo industry. The production value rose from 82 billion yuan ($11 billion) in 2010 to 410 billion yuan ($57 billion), with an average annual growth of 30 percent.
China is working on technological innovation to promote the transition from plastic to bamboo. This year, new technologies and products have emerged, replacing bamboo plastic.
The company in the Anji National Bamboo Industry High-Tech Park has developed a new bamboo board product after more than a year of researching fire-resistant formulas and conducting injection molding tests. The new product has been upgraded from D class fuel to B1 class fuel, and has passed international certification suitable for airport ceilings, wall panels and even walkways.
Such technological innovation makes China’s bamboo industry labor-intensive and technology-intensive.
