During the 2024 Two Sessions in China, relevant civil society organizations supported the draft of two comprehensive proposals for the management of plastic pollution in the coffee and new tea drink industries as well as the takeaway sector, aimed at reducing plastic pollution and promoting environmental protection and sustainable development. Notably, these two proposals were adopted by the relevant government departments and have been officially filed.
The first proposal focuses on the issue of single-use plastic in the coffee and new tea drink industries, pointing out that the rapid growth of these sectors has led to extensive use of single-use plastic packaging, putting severe pressure on the environment. To address this issue, the proposal suggests that the government introduce policies to encourage coffee and new tea drink enterprises to reduce the use of single-use plastics, develop a roadmap for plastic reduction, and explore sustainable packaging solutions. These recommendations not only involve assessing the current situation of plastic use but also include promoting the adoption of circular use schemes, simplifying packaging, and providing non-disposable drink cups, among other measures, thereby supporting enterprises to achieve these goals through incentives such as tax breaks.
Photo from: https://tao.hvcis.com/
The second proposal is focused on the comprehensive governance of plastic pollution in the takeaway sector. With the booming development of China's takeaway market, it is projected that by 2025, the number of orders will reach 33.9 billion, with an economic scale exceeding 1.5 trillion. This growth has led to a surge in the use of disposable plastic containers and other single-use plastic products, along with subsequent environmental pollution issues. The proposal emphasizes the importance of systemic change, covering the entire process from source reduction to end management in the governance of takeaway packaging pollution. Drawing on the successful experience of greening express packaging, it proposes a plastic reduction strategy that follows the principles of "reduce use - reuse - recycle," aiming to establish a lead department for the governance of plastic pollution in takeaway packaging, coordinate cooperation among multiple departments, enforce platform responsibility, and achieve the goals of plastic reduction and resource recycling.
Photo from: https://web.shobserver.com/
The submission of these two proposals not only demonstrates society's high regard for environmental protection issues but also reflects the government's and all sectors' determination to make progress in the management of plastic pollution. With the adoption of these proposals, it is hoped that tangible effects can be achieved in reducing plastic pollution and protecting the environment, driving the industry towards a more sustainable direction.
