China’s Jilin Province announces key measures on plastic pollution control for 2021 
The Development and Reform Commission and the Department of Ecology and Environment of Jilin Province, China on April 7, 2021 published the “Main Points of Plastic Pollution Control Measures for 2021”, which are outlined below.
Bans and restrictions on plastic products
Enforce bans and restrictions on plastic products in accordance with the Guidelines of Jilin Province on Key Measures for Enhanced Plastic Pollution Control. These guidelines, published in August 2020, include the following bans and restrictions:
- Banned the production of household chemical products containing microbeads by the end of 2020
- Ban the sale of household chemical products containing microbeads by the end of 2022
- Ban all the hotels with a star rating in the province from serving single-use plastic tableware without being asked
For details, see the full text of the guidelines (in simplified Chinese) at https://www.ndrc.gov.cn/xwdt/ztzl/slwrzlzxd/zcwj01/202009/t20200916_1238880.html.
Strengthen supervision and enforcement of the total ban on the import of waste plastic materials
Promotion of substitute products
- Promote large-scale production of biodegradable materials such as polylactic acid
- Ensure that the public is well informed of the “Polyethylene Blown Mulch Film for Agricultural Uses” mandatory national standard and observes it, in order to promote biodegradable films
- Implement the delivery packaging green certification system
Enhancement of standardized plastic waste recycling
- Enhance the separate collection, collection in general and disposal of recyclables, including plastic waste in each region
- Enhance the recycling of low-value waste plastics as an energy source to reduce landfill plastic waste as much as possible
- Enhance environmental management in each phase of plastic waste processing, including collection, recycling and disposal, while severely punishing illegal acts
The full text of the published document (in simplified Chinese) is available at
http://xxgk.jl.gov.cn/zcbm/fgw/xxgkmlqy/202104/t20210407_8019068.html.
