Chongqing "Replacing Plastic with Bamboo" Innovation Alliance Established

Recently, the Chongqing Forestry Bureau organized a city wide symposium on "Replacing Plastic with Bamboo", inviting leaders and experts from the Chinese Academy of Forestry and the International Bamboo and Vine Center, relevant departments such as the Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Economic and Information Commission, Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, and Municipal Finance Bureau, as well as representatives from three enterprises including Great Wall Motors and Chongqing Rueijhu Plant Fiber Products Co., Ltd. The conference proposed the establishment of the Chongqing "Bamboo for Plastic" Innovation Alliance, and clarified the top ten scientific and technological research directions and six key application scenarios for the future.

Chongqing has the dual resource advantage of using bamboo for timber and bamboo for bamboo shoots. With a strong foundation in bamboo resources, it is one of the key areas for implementing the national strategy of "replacing plastic with bamboo". As of now, there are a total of 168 species (including varieties or forms) of bamboo plants belonging to 21 genera in the city, ranking sixth in the country in terms of the number of bamboo species. The total area of bamboo resources is 4.49 million mu, with approximately 2.14 million mu of bamboo used for timber. It is an important bamboo area in southwestern China. Among them, the area of Cizhu reaches 1.85 million mu, ranking second in the country. Its cellulose content is high and its mechanical properties are good, making it the most promising raw bamboo species for "replacing plastic with bamboo".

In recent years, Chongqing Forestry Bureau has continuously promoted the development of "replacing plastic with bamboo" from multiple aspects. In terms of scientific and technological research and development, 2.8 million yuan has been invested at the municipal level since 2023, and 6 science and technology projects have been approved and implemented. A total of 24 bamboo related scientific and technological achievements have been produced, 145 patents have been authorized, and 6 standards have been formulated. In terms of achievement promotion, central funds of 4.6 million yuan were invested to implement 6 technology promotion demonstration projects and establish 9 application promotion bases. In terms of external cooperation, this year the Municipal Forestry Bureau conducted research on the bamboo industry in multiple provinces and cities, and initially formed the "Chongqing Bamboo Industry Development Research Report".

At the meeting, the Municipal Forestry Bureau issued an initiative to jointly establish the Chongqing "Replacing Plastic with Bamboo" Innovation Alliance, which includes relevant universities, research institutes, bamboo processing enterprises, downstream application enterprises, and industry associations in the city. The alliance will uphold the concept of "collaborative innovation, resource sharing, industrial linkage, and green win-win", build an efficient and collaborative "government industry university research application" innovation system, break through the technical bottlenecks, industrial barriers, and application obstacles of bamboo replacing plastic, accelerate the transformation and landing of scientific and technological achievements, cultivate a green, low-carbon, circular and efficient "bamboo replacing plastic" industrial ecology, and provide Chongqing solutions for national plastic pollution control, contributing to the strength of Chongqing's bamboo industry.

The "Proposal" mentions that in order to consolidate the foundation of the development of the "bamboo replacing plastic" industry, the alliance will focus on ten directions, including the breeding technology of excellent varieties of bamboo for fiber use, the exploration of genetic regulatory factors for key traits of bamboo for plastic replacement, and key technologies for precise cultivation of bamboo for fiber use, and concentrate advantageous resources to carry out key technological breakthroughs. At the same time, focusing on the actual needs of the industry and the pain points of green development, the alliance will also focus on expanding six major application scenarios: industrial equipment manufacturing (automotive interior, electronic packaging), green building materials and living environment (bamboo based panels, prefabricated buildings), cultural and tourism consumption and daily substitutes (bamboo tableware, cultural and creative products), environmental governance and green packaging (bamboo fiber express bags), agricultural and forestry production (biodegradable plastic film), public services and green office (bamboo office supplies), and promote the precise implementation of technological achievements.

Information source: Science and Technology Department of Chongqing Forestry Bureau