Thread Content
The 2007 annual meeting of the Degradable Plastics Committee of the China Plastics Association was held in Beijing recently, and it became a consensus among the experts present that the development of degraded plastics in China must focus on industrialization and standardization. Liao Zhengpin, president of the China Plastics Processing Industry Association, emphasized that the key to developing biodegradable plastics lies in establishing an organic connection among various stakeholders in research, development, and production both domestically and internationally, in order to advance the processes of industrialization and standardization. In China, degradable plastics are gradually finding the right path for industrial development through the formulation of a series of **standards**, as well as ongoing discussions and evaluations by industry experts, enterprises, and the market. At the same time, industrial development has also laid the foundation for standard-setting, enabling mutual promotion and common growth. The pattern and development trend of the industrialization and standardization of plastic degradation technologies progressing simultaneously is encouraging. Liao Zhengpin hopes that industry professionals will further create platforms for collaboration among industry, academia, and research institutions, increase efforts in the development of basic resins, strengthen research on modification techniques, and enhance China’s ability to innovate in the field of biodegradable plastics. He also reminded that while learning from advanced experiences, research and innovation in degradable plastics should take into account national conditions to avoid exclusive tendencies in technical approaches. It is understood that with the gradual establishment of green environmental protection concepts, the development of biodegradable plastics in China has been robust in recent years. The production of biodegradable plastics alone reached around 30,000 tons in 2006; it is expected that by 2010, the production capacity will exceed 100,000 tons, while demand will reach over 200,000 tons. Currently, eco-friendly plastics and biodegradable plastics are being widely used in Olympic venues. With the development of the plastics industry, biodegradable plastics are likely to play a significant role in packaging materials in the future.