【Bioplastics Frontier】reports,
On August 15, 2026, the Ecological and Environmental Code of the People's Republic of China officially came into effect. In the "Green and Low-Carbon Development" section, Article 998 incorporates the "prohibition and restriction of non-degradable plastic bags and other single-use plastic products" into China's fundamental national law - China's plastic-reduction policy has been comprehensively elevated from departmental regulations and local legislation to a legally binding requirement under the Code.
The original text of the provision is:
Article 998: The State shall, in accordance with the law, prohibit and restrict the production, sale and use of non-degradable plastic bags and other single-use plastic products; encourage and guide the reduction and active recycling of single-use plastic products; and promote the application of recyclable, easily recyclable, degradable and harmless alternatives.
The reason these five words carry so much weight is that they directly target an industry chain that has profited from "pseudo-degradable" products - sellers of oxidative degradation additives. The essence of this business is to use the low cost of additives to obtain a premium by marketing products as "environmentally friendly." The phrase "degradable and harmless" effectively removes the legal protection that has allowed this business to operate under the guise of environmental protection.
Let's break down exactly what these five words mean.
"Degradable":
It doesn't mean "can break apart"; it means "can be consumed by nature"
Over the past few years, the term "degradable" has been overused by sellers. A considerable proportion of plastic bags marketed as "degradable" are actually traditional PE or PP plastics containing oxidative degradation additives, which cause them to become brittle and fragment under sunlight (UV radiation) or high temperatures - large pieces become smaller pieces, and smaller pieces become microplastics. Essentially, they have not disappeared.
China's national standard GB/T 20197-2006, "Definition, Classification, Marking and Degradation Performance Requirements of Degradable Plastics," provides the following definition:
Under natural conditions such as soil and/or sand, and/or under specific conditions such as composting, anaerobic digestion or aqueous culture, plastics are degraded through the action of microorganisms naturally present in the environment, ultimately being completely degraded into carbon dioxide (and/or methane), water, mineral salts of the elements contained therein, and new biomass.
Pay attention to the two key phrases: "microbial action" and "complete degradation." This is what true biodegradability means - being "consumed" by nature rather than simply "breaking apart."
According to the degradation environment, biodegradable plastics can be classified into six categories: soil-degradable, compostable, marine-environment-degradable, freshwater-environment-degradable, sludge-anaerobic-digestion-degradable, and high-solids-anaerobic-digestion-degradable. Among these, the biodegradable plastics most relevant to our daily lives mainly include materials such as PLA (polylactic acid) and PBAT (polybutylene adipate terephthalate), which do not contain non-degradable components such as PE and PP.
延伸阅读
China's State Administration of Government Affairs and NDRC Make a Definitive Statement: "Degradable" Products Cannot Contain PP or PE
The State Administration of Government Affairs Issues Another Notice: Public Institutions Take the Lead in Phasing Out Non-Degradable Single-Use Plastic Products
Furthermore, GB/T 41010-2021, "Biodegradable Plastics and Products - Degradation Performance and Marking Requirements," provides specific quantitative requirements:
Organic matter content
Volatile solids content ≥51%
Heavy metal limits
As ≤5, Cd ≤0.5, Hg ≤0.5, Pb ≤50 mg/kg (dry weight), etc.
Biodegradation rate
Relative biodegradation rate for soil-degradable products ≥90%
Ecotoxicity
Plant toxicity test: germination rate ≥90%, dry biomass ratio ≥90%
Earthworm test
Survival rate and weight ≥90%
Substances of Very High Concern
Carcinogenic and other SVHC substances require self-declaration and supporting evidence
In other words, simply claiming "degradable" is not enough. There must be evidence demonstrating that the product meets the required degradation rate within the specified time under nationally recognized environmental conditions.
⚠️ One example: Photodegradable plastics and thermo-oxidatively degradable plastics may appear to "break apart when exposed to light" or "crack when heated," but this is essentially physical disintegration. The final products can be microplastics, potentially causing secondary pollution - precisely the type of "pseudo-degradation" that the provision aims to exclude.
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"Harmless":
Being degradable does not necessarily mean being non-toxic
"Degradable" addresses the question of whether a material can disappear; "harmless" addresses whether the degradation process and its resulting products are safe.
Why isn't "degradable" alone sufficient? Because various additives are incorporated during plastic production to provide properties such as flame retardancy, plasticization and oxidation resistance. More than 100 substances have been included in the EU Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs) due to their potential environmental and health hazards, with plasticizers and flame retardants among the most widely used categories.
These hazardous substances create three major risks:
Release during use: Under high-temperature and other conditions, additives may gradually migrate into the environment. At certain concentrations, they may cause endocrine disruption in organisms and, in serious cases, may present carcinogenic or teratogenic risks.
Degradation intermediates: Degradation is not simply a process of physical disappearance. During degradation, intermediate products, residual additives and heavy metals may potentially be released.
End-of-life leakage: Large quantities of SVHCs may enter the waste stream when plastic products reach the end of their service life, becoming long-term sources of SVHC release into the environment and posing persistent risks to ecosystems and human health.
Therefore, national standards also establish clear boundaries for "harmlessness." Taking GB/T 20197 as an example, degradable plastics must meet the following requirements:
Organic matter content
Volatile solids content ≥51%
Heavy metal limits
As ≤5, Cd ≤0.5, Hg ≤0.5, Pb ≤50 mg/kg (dry weight), etc.
Biodegradation rate
Relative biodegradation rate for soil-degradable products ≥90%
Ecotoxicity
Plant toxicity test: germination rate ≥90%, dry biomass ratio ≥90%
Earthworm test
Survival rate and weight ≥90%
Substances of Very High Concern
Carcinogenic and other SVHC substances require self-declaration and supporting evidence
Simply put, "harmless" means that the degradation products consist only of carbon dioxide, water and biomass, with no heavy metals, toxic substances or residual microplastics.
For products that come into contact with food, such as biodegradable food containers and cups, additional compliance with the food safety standard GB 4806.7-2016 is required.
The two words are connected by "and"
Directly closing the door on the "pseudo-degradable" profit chain
Combining "degradable" and "harmless" is not merely a matter of wording in the law. Rather, it precisely targets the "pseudo-degradable" industry chain. In the past, this industry survived by exploiting loopholes in the definition of "degradable." Simply adding an oxidizing agent to plastic to make it "break apart" allowed products to be marketed as "degradable" and sold at a premium.
How does this industry chain operate?
Production: Add 3%–8% oxidative degradation additives to traditional polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) plastics, or use stone powder (calcium carbonate) fillers, starch fillers, etc., to accelerate fragmentation under sunlight or high temperatures. The cost of these additives or fillers is extremely low. Although the plastic appears to "disintegrate," it actually only turns into microplastics and is not truly consumed by microorganisms.
Certification: A gray-market chain involving the buying and selling of test reports has emerged. Some institutions charge fees under the slogan of "guaranteed approval" and issue fraudulent reports, while others exploit classification loopholes in older versions of national standards that still classified photo-oxidative degradation as "degradable," allowing these "pseudo-degradable" products to enter the market with false certification.
Sales: By marketing products under the labels of "environmentally friendly" and "degradable," companies obtain both policy benefits and premium pricing. One market survey found that among the 30 best-selling plastic bags marketed as degradable, 9 were oxidative-degradation plastic bags, while only 3 were genuinely biodegradable plastic bags - meaning "pseudo-degradable" products significantly outnumbered truly biodegradable ones.
End-of-life: Microplastics generated through fragmentation enter soil, water bodies and the food chain, causing secondary pollution. In 2019, the European Union adopted a directive explicitly prohibiting the circulation of single-use products made from oxo-degradable plastics.
How does "degradable and harmless" close the loopholes?
"Degradable" → Excludes oxidative/thermo-oxidative degradable plastics that only disintegrate without undergoing true biodegradation. The draft revision of the new national standard GB/T 20197 has removed the category of photo-oxidative degradation and clearly requires degradation to be caused by "microbial action" and to result in "complete degradation." Simply breaking apart under light is not enough.
"And harmless" → Excludes products that release microplastics, heavy metals or toxic additives during degradation. GB/T 41010 requires a biodegradation rate of at least 90%, while also establishing limits for heavy metals, ecotoxicity and SVHCs.
Dual thresholds → Practices that previously relied on "adding oxidizing agents to qualify as degradable and sell at a premium" will no longer have legal protection. In addition, Article 1225 provides penalties - manufacturers may face fines of 1–3 times the value of the goods, while enterprises and public institutions that violate the use restrictions may face fines of RMB 10,000–100,000. This once-profitable gray-market industry is therefore moving from a "regulatory gap" into a high-risk legal red line.
💡 One-sentence summary: If a product is degradable but toxic → not acceptable; if it is non-toxic but cannot degrade → also not acceptable. It must be both degradable and harmless to qualify as an alternative product recognized by the law - this is the underlying logic behind the five words that close the door on pseudo-degradable products.
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What does this law mean for these four groups?
First: Manufacturers (production and sales)
This is the source targeted by the law. From now on, enterprises engaged in the production and sale of non-degradable plastic bags and other single-use plastic products that fall within the prohibited/restricted categories will be deemed to be in violation of the law.
Products relying on oxidative properties or simple fragmentation will fail to meet the requirements for "harmlessness" or "easy recyclability" and will face increasing pressure from both standards and enforcement. Companies must proactively align with degradation-plastic standards such as GB/T 41010 and prepare third-party test reports.
Penalties (Article 1225): For violations involving the production or sale of non-degradable single-use plastic products, market regulation authorities shall order the cessation of such activities, confiscate the products, and impose a fine of 1–3 times the value of the goods. Any illegal income shall also be confiscated; in serious cases, the relevant license may be revoked.
Second: Users (supermarkets, catering businesses, farmers' markets, accommodation businesses, exhibitors, etc.)
This is the category with the broadest application. All entities that use non-degradable plastic bags and other single-use plastic products in their business operations are subject to this provision. Specifically:
🏪 Supermarkets and shopping malls → both the operators and businesses operating within them must comply with the restrictions
🛒 Farmers' markets → operators must supervise vendors within the market; vendors themselves are also subject to penalties for violations
🍽️ Catering businesses (including dine-in and takeaway) → must not provide non-degradable single-use plastic straws or tableware
🏨 Accommodation businesses → must not proactively provide consumers with single-use plastic products
🏛️ Exhibitors → must comply with restrictions on the use of prohibited/restricted plastic products at exhibitions
Penalties (Article 1225):
Enterprises and public institutions that violate the rules → RMB 10,000–100,000
Other producers and operators (individual businesses, small shops, small restaurants, vendors, etc.) → RMB 500–5,000
Third: Entities subject to reporting obligations (operators of retail premises, e-commerce platforms, takeaway platforms and express delivery companies)
This category first falls under the user/usage side and is therefore also subject to the same penalties. However, the latter part of Article 998 specifically adds reporting obligations because these entities occupy key positions in the circulation chain of plastic products. The reporting mechanism functions as a "monitoring probe" to track industry-wide data.
The original provision is:
Article 998: Operators of retail premises, e-commerce platform enterprises, express delivery enterprises and takeaway enterprises shall, in accordance with national regulations, report the use and recycling of single-use plastic products to the competent commerce, postal administration and other departments.
This means that every express-delivery package and every takeaway order you receive will be subject to legal oversight from August 15 onward.
Reporting requirements: Reports shall be submitted through the Ministry of Commerce's nationwide unified reporting system for the use and recycling of single-use plastic products, on a semi-annual basis - the first-half report must be submitted by July 31 each year, and the second-half report by January 31 of the following year.
Penalties (Article 1225):
Failure to report as required → the competent commerce, postal administration and other authorities shall order correction; if the entity fails to correct the violation within the prescribed period, the user-side penalties shall apply - namely, RMB 10,000–100,000 for enterprises and public institutions.
Fourth: Ordinary consumers
The law adopts an approach of "encouragement and guidance" rather than punishment for this group. When choosing alternative products, pay attention to three points:
Look at the markings: Look for the "Double J" graphic mark for biodegradable plastic products.
Look at the standard number: For biodegradable plastic shopping bags, look for GB/T 38082; for single-use biodegradable foodservice products, look for GB/T 18006.3; and for general requirements, look for GB/T 41010.
Look at the material: Prioritize biodegradable materials such as PLA and PBAT, reject products containing PE or PP, and avoid products without a manufacturer name, address or applicable standard.
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Final Thoughts
The deeper significance of Article 998 is not merely that "plastic reduction" has been elevated to a legally binding requirement under the Code. More importantly, it provides a legal answer to the question of "what truly qualifies as an environmentally friendly alternative?", which has remained ambiguous for years, through the five words "degradable and harmless."
The legal foundation of the gray-market industry built on pseudo-degradable products has been removed from August 15 onward - China does not accept products that merely "look environmentally friendly"; it accepts only genuine environmental solutions that can withstand scientific standards and testing.
For companies that have genuinely invested in the R&D of fully biodegradable materials and genuinely control hazardous chemical substances, this represents a structural opportunity.
From now on, whenever you see the words "degradable," take a closer look:
Can it really degrade?
Is it harmless after degradation?
These two questions are precisely the legal benchmark established by Article 998.
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