By Yuan Dongming, General Office, and Zhou Hongchun, Research Department of Social Development, Development Research Center of the State Council (DRC)

Report No 117, 2014 (Total 4616)

Summary:

The disposal of waste plastics is an environmental problem drawing wide attention in society. Waste plastics pollution refers to "visual pollution" caused by plastic bags, "white pollution" in farmland, and secondary pollution from waste plastics disposal. Recycling of waste plastics is at a low level in China, with many poor quality waste plastics being buried and burned, leading to a waste of resources and environmental pollution. How to use increasingly growing waste plastics as an energy resource and conduct harmless disposal is a difficult problem facing local governments looking to find effective solutions.

Since the 1980s, many countries have been exploring the technologies that could turn waste plastics into oil. These technologies are becoming more mature. Europe, the United States and Japan have put technologies on the market in recent years, and some Chinese enterprises have also made breakthroughs in technology application. China needs to provide more guidance and regulations for the energy use of waste plastics. It also needs to formulate technology, environmental protection and product standards to make sure that energy use of waste plastics will develop in a professional way with a large scale.