(1) It is urgent to reduce plastic pollution
The increasingly serious problem of plastic pollution threatens human health and needs to be solved thoroughly, which has become a consensus of mankind. According to the “From Pollution to Solutions: Global Assessment of Marine Litter and Plastic Pollution” released by the United Nations Environment Program in October 2021, from 1950 to 2017, a total of 9.2 billion tons of plastic products were produced worldwide, of which about 70 Hundreds of millions of tons have become plastic waste, and the global recycling rate of these plastic wastes is less than 10%. A scientific study published in 2018 by the British “Royal Society Open Science” showed that the current plastic waste in the ocean has reached 75 million to 199 million tons, accounting for 85% of the total weight of marine litter.
Such a huge amount of plastic waste has sounded the alarm for human beings. If effective intervention measures are not taken, it is estimated that by 2040, the amount of plastic waste entering water bodies will nearly triple to 23-37 million tons per year.
Plastic waste not only causes serious harm to marine ecosystems and terrestrial ecosystems, but also exacerbates global climate change. More importantly, microplastics and their additives can also seriously affect human health. If there are no effective action measures and alternative products, human production and life will be greatly threatened.
It is urgent to reduce plastic pollution. The international community has successively issued relevant policies on banning and limiting plastics, and proposed a timetable for banning and limiting plastics.
In 2019, the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly to pass a ban on plastics, and it will be fully implemented in 2021, that is, to ban the use of 10 kinds of disposable plastic tableware, plastic cotton swabs, plastic straws, and plastic stirring rods. Sexual plastic products.
China released the “Opinions on Further Strengthening Plastic Pollution Control” in 2020, encouraging the reduction of plastic consumption, promoting alternative products of biodegradable plastics, and proposing to “achieve carbon peak by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060″ dual carbon targets. Since then, China has released the “14th Five-Year Plan” Plastic Pollution Control Action Plan in 2021, which specifically mentions that it is necessary to actively promote the reduction of plastic production and use at the source, and scientifically and steadily promote plastic substitute products. On May 28, 2021, ASEAN released the “Regional Action Plan to Address Marine Plastic Waste 2021-2025″, which aims to express ASEAN’s determination to solve the growing problem of marine plastic waste pollution in the next five years.
As of 2022, more than 140 countries have clearly formulated or issued relevant plastic ban and plastic restriction policies. In addition, many international conventions and international organizations are also taking actions to support the international community to reduce and eliminate plastic products, encourage the development of alternatives, and adjust industrial and trade policies to reduce plastic pollution.
It is noteworthy that at the resumed fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2), which will be held from February 28 to March 2, 2022, the member states of the United Nations reached an agreement to formulate a A legally binding international agreement to fight plastic pollution. It is one of the most ambitious environmental actions worldwide since the 1989 Montreal Protocol.
(2) “Replacing plastic with bamboo” is an effective way to reduce the use of plastic
Finding plastic substitutes is an effective way to reduce the use of plastics and reduce plastic pollution from the source, and it is also one of the important measures for the global response to the plastic pollution crisis. Degradable biomaterials such as wheat and straw can replace plastics. But among all plastic-generation materials, bamboo has unique advantages.
Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world. Studies have shown that the highest growth rate of bamboo is 1.21 meters per 24 hours, and high and thick growth can be completed in 2-3 months. Bamboo matures quickly, and it can become a forest in 3-5 years, and the bamboo shoots regenerate every year, with high yield, and one-time afforestation can be used continuously. Bamboo is widely distributed and has a considerable resource scale. There are 1,642 species of bamboo plants known in the world. It is known that there are 39 countries with a total area of bamboo forests of more than 50 million hectares and an annual output of more than 600 million tons of bamboo. Among them, there are more than 857 kinds of bamboo plants in China, and the bamboo forest area is 6.41 million hectares. Based on the annual rotation of 20%, 70 million tons of bamboo should be cut in rotation. At present, the total output value of the national bamboo industry is more than 300 billion yuan, and it will exceed 700 billion yuan by 2025.
Bamboo’s unique natural properties make it an excellent alternative to plastic. Bamboo is a high-quality renewable, recyclable, and degradable environmental protection material, and it has the characteristics of high strength, good toughness, high hardness, and good plasticity. In short, bamboo has a wide range of uses, and bamboo products are diverse and rich. With the advancement of science and technology, the application fields of bamboo are becoming more and more extensive. At present, more than 10,000 kinds of bamboo products have been developed, involving all aspects of production and life such as clothing, food, housing, and transportation.
Bamboo products maintain low carbon levels and even negative carbon footprints throughout their life cycle. Under the background of “double carbon”, bamboo’s carbon absorption and sequestration function is particularly valuable. From the perspective of carbon sink process, compared with plastic products, bamboo products have a negative carbon footprint. Bamboo products can be completely degraded naturally after use, which can better protect the environment and human health. Statistics show that the carbon sequestration capacity of bamboo forests is far superior to that of ordinary trees, 1.46 times that of Chinese fir and 1.33 times that of tropical rain forests. Bamboo forests in China can reduce carbon by 197 million tons and sequester 105 million tons of carbon every year, and the total amount of carbon reduction and sequestration will reach 302 million tons. If the world uses 600 million tons of bamboo to replace PVC products every year, it is estimated that 4 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced. In short, “replacing plastic with bamboo” can play a role in beautifying the environment, reducing carbon and sequestering carbon, developing the economy, increasing income and becoming rich. It can also meet the people’s demand for ecological products and enhance the people’s sense of happiness and gain.
The research and development and production of science and technology have been able to replace a large number of plastic products. For example: bamboo winding pipes. The bamboo winding composite material technology jointly developed by Zhejiang Xinzhou Bamboo-based Composite Material Technology Co., Ltd. and the International Bamboo and Rattan Center, as a global original high value-added bamboo utilization technology, after more than 10 years of research and development, once again refreshed the Chinese bamboo industry in the world. the height of the world. The series of products such as bamboo winding composite pipes, pipe galleries, high-speed rail carriages, and houses produced by this technology can replace plastic products in large quantities. Not only are the raw materials renewable and carbon sequestering, but the processing can also achieve energy saving, carbon reduction, and biodegradability. The cost is also lower. As of 2022, bamboo winding composite pipes have been popularized and applied in water supply and drainage projects, and entered the stage of industrial application. Six industrial production lines have been built, and the cumulative length of the project has reached more than 300 kilometers. This technology has great application prospects in replacing engineering plastics in the future.
Bamboo packaging. With the rapid development of the logistics industry, sending and receiving express delivery has become a part of people’s life. According to data from the State Post Bureau, China’s express delivery industry generates about 1.8 million tons of plastic waste every year. Bamboo packaging is becoming the new favorite of express companies. There are many types of bamboo packaging, mainly including bamboo weaving packaging, bamboo sheet packaging, bamboo lathe packaging, string packaging, raw bamboo packaging, container floor and so on. Bamboo packaging can be applied to the outer packaging of various products such as hairy crabs, rice dumplings, moon cakes, fruits, and specialty products. And after the product is used up, the bamboo packaging can be used as a decoration or a storage box, or a vegetable basket for daily shopping, which can be reused many times, and can also be recycled to prepare bamboo charcoal, etc., which has good recyclability.
Bamboo lattice filling. Cooling tower is a kind of cooling equipment widely used in power plants, chemical plants, and steel mills. Its cooling performance has a great influence on the energy consumption and power generation efficiency of the unit. To improve the working efficiency of the cooling tower, the first improvement is the cooling tower packing. At present The cooling tower mainly uses PVC plastic filler. Bamboo packing can replace PVC plastic packing and has a longer service life. Jiangsu Hengda Bamboo Packing Co., Ltd. is a well-known enterprise of bamboo packing for cooling towers of national thermal power generation, and also the undertaking unit of bamboo packing for cooling towers of the National Torch Program. Companies using bamboo lattice fillers for cooling towers can apply for subsidies for the low-carbon product catalog for five consecutive years. In China alone, the annual cooling tower bamboo packing market scale exceeds 120 billion yuan. In the future, international standards will be formulated, which can be promoted and applied to the global market.
Bamboo grill. The cost of carbonized composite bamboo woven geogrid is much lower than that of commonly used plastic grid, and it has obvious advantages in durability, weather resistance, flatness, and overall bearing capacity. The products can be widely used in the soft foundation treatment of railways, highways, airports, docks, and water conservancy facilities, and can also be used in facility agriculture such as planting and breeding fence nets, crop scaffolding, etc.
Nowadays, replacing plastic bamboo products with bamboo is becoming more and more common around us. From disposable bamboo tableware, car interiors, electronic product casings, sports equipment to product packaging, protective equipment, etc., bamboo products are used in a variety of applications. “Replacing plastic with bamboo” is not limited to existing technologies and products, it has broader prospects and unlimited potential waiting to be discovered.
“Replacing plastic with bamboo” has important epochal significance for global sustainable development:
(1) Respond to the common aspiration of the international community to promote sustainable development. Bamboo is widely distributed around the world. As the host country of the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization and a major bamboo industry country in the world, China actively promotes the advanced technology and experience of the bamboo industry to the world, and does its best to help developing countries to effectively use bamboo resources to improve their response to climate change and environmental pollution. global issues such as poverty and extreme poverty. The development of the bamboo and rattan industry has played an important role in promoting South-South cooperation and has been widely praised by the international community. Starting from China, “replacing plastic with bamboo” will also lead the world to jointly carry out the green revolution, promote the realization of the United Nations sustainable development goals, and promote the realization of a stronger, greener and healthier sustainable development in the world.
(2) To adapt to the objective laws of respecting nature, conforming to nature, and protecting nature. Plastic pollution is the largest pollution in the world, most of which are concentrated in the ocean. Many marine fish have plastic particles in their blood vessels. Many whales have died from swallowing plastic… It takes 200 years for plastic to decompose after being buried on land, and it has been swallowed by animals in the ocean… …If this situation continues, can humans still obtain seafood from the sea? If climate change continues, can human beings survive and develop? “Replacing plastic with bamboo” complies with the laws of nature and can become an important choice for the continued development of human beings.
(3) Comply with the ecological concept of inclusive green development, resolutely abandon the short-sighted practice of sacrificing the environment for temporary development, and always adhere to the strategic determination of the coordination and unity of economic and social development and ecological and environmental protection, and the harmonious coexistence of man and nature. This is a change in the way of development. “Replacing plastic with bamboo” relies on the renewable and recyclable characteristics of bamboo, coupled with the low-carbon nature of the entire production cycle of the bamboo industry, will promote the transformation of traditional production models, promote the conversion of ecological value of bamboo resources, and truly transform ecological advantages for economic advantage. This is the optimization of the industrial structure. “Replacing plastic with bamboo” complies with the general direction of the current technological revolution and industrial transformation, seizes the development opportunity of green transformation, drives innovation, promotes the rapid development of green industries, and promotes the optimization and upgrading of industrial structure.
This is an era full of challenges, but also an era full of hope. The “Replace Plastic with Bamboo” initiative will be included in the list of outcomes of the Global Development High-Level Dialogue on June 24, 2022. Inclusion in the list of outcomes of the Global Development High-Level Dialogue is a new starting point for “replacing plastic with bamboo”. At this starting point, China, as a big bamboo country, has shown its due responsibilities and responsibilities. This is the world’s trust and affirmation of bamboo, and it is also the world’s recognition and expectation for development. With the technological innovation of bamboo utilization, the application of bamboo will be more extensive, and its empowerment in production and life and all walks of life will become stronger and stronger. In particular, “replacing plastic with bamboo” will vigorously promote the conversion of growth momentum, high-tech The change of green consumption, the upgrade of green consumption, and in this way change the life, improve the environment, promote the construction of a more beautiful, healthy and sustainable green home, and realize the green transformation in a comprehensive sense.
How to implement the “bamboo instead of plastic” initiative
Under the tide of the era of global response to climate change and control of plastic pollution, bamboo and rattan can provide a series of urgent global problems such as plastic pollution and climate change based on nature; the bamboo and rattan industry will contribute to the sustainable development of developing countries and regions. Sustainable development and green transformation; there are differences in technology, skills, policies, and cognition in the development of the bamboo and rattan industry among countries and regions, and it is necessary to formulate development strategies and innovative solutions according to local conditions. Facing the future, how to fully promote the implementation of the “replace bamboo with plastic” action plan? How to promote countries around the world to incorporate the “Bamboo for Plastic” initiative into more policy systems at different levels? The author believes that there are the following points.
(1) Build an international cooperation platform centered on the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization to promote the action of “replacing plastic with bamboo”. The International Bamboo and Rattan Organization is not only the initiator of the “Replace Plastic with Bamboo” initiative, but also has promoted “Replace Plastic with Bamboo” in the form of reports or lectures on many occasions since April 2019. In December 2019, the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization joined hands with the International Bamboo and Rattan Center to hold a side event on “Replacing Plastic with Bamboo to Address Climate Change” during the 25th United Nations Climate Change Conference to discuss the potential of bamboo in solving the global plastic problem and reducing pollution emissions and outlook. At the end of December 2020, at the Boao International Plastic Ban Industry Forum, the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization actively organized the “Replace Plastic with Bamboo” exhibition with partners, and delivered a keynote on issues such as reducing plastic pollution, disposable plastic product management and alternative products The report and a series of speeches introduced nature-based bamboo solutions for the global issue of plastic ban and plastic restriction, which attracted great attention from the participants. The author believes that under such a background, the establishment of an international cooperation platform to promote the action of “replacing plastic with bamboo” based on the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization, and work in many aspects such as policy formulation, technological innovation, and fund raising will play a significant role. good effect. The platform is mainly responsible for supporting and helping countries around the world to formulate and promote relevant policies; to deepen the scientific and technological cooperation of “substituting bamboo for plastic”, to innovate the use, efficiency and standardization of bamboo products for plastic, and to create conditions for the utilization of new technologies and the development of new products; Innovative research on green economic development, employment increase, primary commodity downstream industry development and value-added; at global high-level conferences such as the United Nations General Assembly, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, the World Forestry Conference, China International Fair for Trade in Services, and “World Earth Day” On important international theme days and commemorative days such as World Environment Day and World Forest Day, carry out marketing and publicity of “replacing plastic with bamboo”.
(2) Improve the top-level design at the national level as soon as possible, establish a multi-country innovation dialogue mechanism, establish a platform for international scientific and technological cooperation conditions, organize joint research, improve the value of plastic agent products through the revision and implementation of relevant standards, and build a global trading mechanism system, Efforts should be made to promote the research and development, promotion and application of “substituting bamboo for plastic” products.
Promote the clustered development of bamboo and rattan at the national and regional levels, innovate the bamboo and rattan industry chain and value chain, establish a transparent and sustainable bamboo and rattan supply chain, and promote the large-scale development of the bamboo and rattan industry. Create a favorable environment for the development of the bamboo and rattan industry, and encourage mutual benefit and win-win cooperation among bamboo and rattan enterprises. Pay attention to the role of bamboo and rattan enterprises in the development of low-carbon economy, nature-beneficial economy, and green circular economy. Protect the biodiversity and ecosystem functions of bamboo and rattan production sites and the surrounding environment. Advocate natural benefit-oriented consumption patterns and cultivate consumers’ habit of purchasing environmentally friendly and traceable bamboo and rattan products.
(3) Increase the scientific and technological innovation of “replacing plastic with bamboo” and promote the sharing of scientific and technological achievements. At present, the implementation of “replacing plastic with bamboo” is feasible. Bamboo resources are abundant, the material is excellent, and the technology is feasible. The research and development of key technologies for quality straw preparation, the research and development of key technologies for bamboo winding composite tube processing, the research and development of bamboo pulp molded embedding box manufacturing technology, and the performance evaluation of new products using bamboo instead of plastic. At the same time, it is also necessary to carry out capacity building for relevant parties in the bamboo and rattan industry, focus on the development of downstream industries for the purpose of adding value to primary commodities and extending the industrial chain, and cultivate professionals in bamboo and rattan entrepreneurship, production, operation management, commodity standardization and certification, green finance and trade . However, “replacing plastic with bamboo” products should also strengthen in-depth research and development and deepen international scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation. For example: the whole bamboo product can be applied to industrial construction, transportation, etc., which is an important and scientific measure for the construction of human ecological civilization in the future. Bamboo and wood can be perfectly combined to promote carbon neutrality in the construction industry. Studies have pointed out that 40% of solid waste pollution comes from the construction industry. The construction industry is responsible for resource depletion and climate change. This requires the use of sustainably managed forests to provide renewable materials. Bamboo’s carbon emissions are very low, and more bamboo building materials can be produced to achieve greater emission reduction effects. Another example: the common goal of INBAR and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is to transform the food and agriculture system and enhance its resilience. The non-degradable and polluting properties of plastic pose a great threat to the transformation of food and agriculture. Today, 50 million tons of plastic are used in the global agricultural value chain. If “replacing plastic with bamboo” and replacing it with natural substances, it will be able to maintain the natural resources of FAO of health. It is not difficult to see from this that the market for “replacing plastic with bamboo” is huge. If we increase the research and development of scientific and technological innovation in a market-oriented manner, we can produce more products that replace plastic and promote a harmonious global environment.
(4) Promote the promotion and implementation of “substituting bamboo for plastic” by signing binding legal documents. At the resumed fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2), which will be held from February 28 to March 2, 2022, the member states of the United Nations reached an agreement to formulate a legally binding agreement through intergovernmental negotiations. International agreement to fight plastic pollution. It is one of the most ambitious environmental actions worldwide since the 1989 Montreal Protocol. At present, many countries in the world have passed laws to prohibit or reduce the manufacture, import, distribution and sale of plastics, hoping to reduce the use of disposable plastics through plastic reduction and responsible consumption, so as to better protect human health and environment safety. Replacing plastic with bamboo can reduce the pollution caused by plastics, especially microplastics, and reduce the use of plastics as a whole. If a binding legal instrument similar to the “Kyoto Protocol” is signed on a global scale to combat plastic pollution, it will greatly promote the promotion and implementation of “replacing plastic with bamboo”.
(5) Establish the Global Fund of “Replacing Plastic with Bamboo” to assist in the R&D, publicity and promotion of the technology of replacing plastic with bamboo. Funds are an important guarantee for promoting the capacity building of “Replacing Plastic with Bamboo”. It is suggested that under the framework of the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization, a Global Fund for “Replacing Plastic with Bamboo” be established. “Provide financial support for capacity building such as scientific and technological research and development, product promotion, and project training in the implementation of the initiative to reduce plastic pollution and contribute to global sustainable development. For example: subsidize the construction of bamboo centers in relevant countries to help them develop bamboo and rattan industries; support relevant countries to carry out bamboo weaving skills training, improve the ability of citizens in the countries to make handicrafts and household daily necessities, and enable them to acquire livelihood skills, etc.
(6) Through multilateral conferences, national media and different types of international activities, increase publicity so that “replacing plastic with bamboo” can be accepted by more people. The initiative of “replacing plastic with bamboo” itself is the result of the continuous promotion and promotion of the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization. The International Bamboo and Rattan Organization’s efforts to promote the voice and action of “replacing plastic with bamboo” continue. “Replacing plastic with bamboo” has attracted more and more attention, and has been recognized and accepted by more institutions and individuals. In March 2021, the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization held an online lecture on the theme of “Replacing Plastic with Bamboo”, and the online participants responded enthusiastically. In September, the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization participated in the 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services and set up a bamboo and rattan special exhibition to demonstrate the wide application of bamboo in plastic reduction consumption and green development, as well as its outstanding advantages in the development of low-carbon circular economy, and join hands with China The Bamboo Industry Association and the International Bamboo and Rattan Center hold an international seminar on “Replacing Plastic with Bamboo” to discuss bamboo as a nature-based solution. Jiang Zehui, Co-Chairman of the INBAR Board of Directors, and Mu Qiumu, Director-General of the INBAR Secretariat, delivered video speeches for the opening ceremony of the seminar. In October, during the 11th China Bamboo Culture Festival held in Yibin, Sichuan, the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization held a symposium on “Replacing Plastic with Bamboo” to discuss plastic pollution prevention and control policies, research on alternative plastic products and practical cases. In February 2022, the International Cooperation Department of the State Forestry and Grassland Administration of China suggested that INBAR submit a global development initiative of “Replacing Plastic with Bamboo” to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, in response to President Xi Jinping’s proposal when he attended the general debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly six global development initiatives. The International Bamboo and Rattan Organization readily agreed and prepared 5 proposals, including formulating favorable policies for “replacing plastic with bamboo”, promoting scientific and technological innovation of “replacing plastic with bamboo”, encouraging scientific research on “replacing plastic with bamboo”, and promoting “replacing plastic with bamboo”. Plastic” market promotion and increase the publicity of “substituting bamboo for plastic”.
Post time: Mar-28-2023
