China Issues National Standard Specifying General Rules for the Evaluation of Easily Recyclable and Reusable Plastic Products

On August 31, 2026, the Standardization Administration of China issued the voluntary national standard General Rules Evaluation of Easily Recyclable and Reusable Plastic Products Design (GB/T 48042-2026). The standard will take effect on February 1, 2027. Compared with the draft issued for public comment in September 2025, this officially published version modifies part of the scope of application, evaluation indicators, and criteria for determining evaluation results, while removing certain terms, definitions, and testing requirements. The standard applies to the design of all plastic products, except for degradable plastic products and plastic products that are classified as hazardous waste upon disposal. Although the standard is non-mandatory, companies can refer to and utilize it to design plastic products that are easy to recover and recycle.