Some "replacing plastic with bamboo" products are on display in Huzhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

The local standard for "Classification and Grading Evaluation of 'Replacing Plastic with Bamboo' Products" was recently released under the collaboration between the forestry bureau of Anji county in Huzhou, Zhejiang province, and Zhejiang A&F University.

This is China's first standard aimed at bamboo substitutes for plastic, showing China's innovative approach to global low-carbon development and plastic pollution mitigation.

Renowned as a national "bamboo county", Anji boasts 870,000 mu (58,000 hectares) of bamboo forests and the bamboo industry achieved a total output value of around 19 billion yuan ($2.59 billion) last year.

In 2023, the National Development and Reform Commission's General Office officially sanctioned support for Anji to establish an application and promotion hub for replacing plastic with bamboo.

To drive the development of the industry, the Anji forestry bureau and Zhejiang A&F University commenced the drafting of the local standard in November 2023. This standard focuses on the significant role of "replacing plastic with bamboo" products in reducing carbon emissions and plastic pollution, introducing innovative evaluation indicators — the substitution emission reduction rate, material substitution rate, and product renewal ratio.

Differing from existing standards that focus on product materials and processes, this standard conducts a comprehensive grading evaluation based on the environmental impact.

"The standard not only offers guidance to policymakers and enterprises in replacing plastic with bamboo but also empowers consumers to make environmentally conscious choices, driving the bamboo industry toward a sustainable, low-carbon future," said Zhou Guomo, the first drafter of the standard and director of the Engineering Research Center of Bamboo Carbon Sequestration for National Forestry and Grassland Administration.