China urges cutting use of disposable plastics

BEIJING -- China has urged the business sector to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic products, encouraging plastic recycling and the use of recyclable and degradable substitutes, according to a document from the Ministry of Commerce.

The ministry has set up a nationwide reporting system to record the use and recycling of disposable plastic products, according to the document.

Retailers, e-commerce platforms, and takeaway food outlets are required to report their use and recycling of such products, the document said.

At the beginning of 2020, China released an ambitious plan to ban or significantly reduce the production and use of environmentally-unfriendly plastic products in the next five years to contain pollution.

By 2025, China expects to effectively control plastic pollution, substantially reduce the amount of plastic waste in landfills of key cities, establish a complete plastics management system, and make progress in the development of alternative products.