China’s making moves to drastically cut its plastic usage

Photograph: Nikola Jovanovic via Unsplash

Shanghai's been riding the sustainability train for a while now, with tons of resources and workshops to get people thinking more about the environment. Now the Middle Kingdom as a whole is taking things a step further with a recent announcement: the country's planning to ‘significantly reduce’ its use of plastic products, according to an article published by The Guardian.

The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment announced that China will simultaneously begin restricting the production, sale and use of certain plastics while also promoting more eco-friendly counterparts. The goal is to get rid of products like single-use foam plastic tableware and chemicals containing microbeads in major cities by the end of this year.

But things don’t stop there. By 2025, China aims to reduce the use of non-degradable single-use plasticware by 30 percent by taking actions such as outright banning items like plastic straws, according to SHINE. What’s more, hotels and guesthouses will no longer use single-use plasticware by that time, and postal services are expected to stop using plastic materials.

Looks like it’s only a matter of time before we say bai bai to plastic waimai containers – just like it should be.

Click below for more from Time Out Shanghai