Action plan to substitute plastic with bamboo launched

China launched a three-year action plan during a symposium on Tuesday to promote the use of bamboo as a substitute for plastic to reduce pollution.

The plan aims to build an industrial system centered around bamboo substitutes, focusing on the development of bamboo resources, deep processing of bamboo materials and expanding bamboo use in markets, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration said.

Over the next three years, China plans to establish about 10 bamboo substitute application demonstration bases in regions abundant with bamboo resources. These bases will conduct research and form standards for bamboo products.

The administration added that China has abundant bamboo resources and potential for industrial development. The output value of the bamboo industry has grown from 82 billion yuan ($11 billion) in 2010 to 415.3 billion yuan last year. The output value is expected to surpass 1 trillion yuan by 2035, said the administration.

The first international symposium on bamboo as a substitute for plastic was hosted by the administration and the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization in Beijing.