China’s environmental regulatory framework is entering a new stage, creating new opportunities for recyclable, degradable, low-carbon, and safer material alternatives.
On August 15, 2026, the Ecological Environment Code of the People’s Republic of China officially came into force. As China’s second law formally enacted as a “code” after the Civil Code, it integrates pollution prevention, ecological protection, and green and low-carbon development into a more systematic legal framework.
For the plastics industry, one development deserves particular attention: the Code includes provisions concerning the prohibition and restriction of certain non-degradable single-use plastic products.
This signals a broader transition:
Reducing conventional single-use plastics → developing sustainable alternatives → expanding recyclable, biodegradable, and low-carbon materials.
For material manufacturers and packaging companies, this is not only a regulatory challenge but also an opportunity to rethink the next generation of plastics.
This is where PPC-P biodegradable plastic can provide a new material pathway.
What Does China's Ecological Environment Code Mean for the Plastics Industry?
The Ecological Environment Code establishes a legal framework for promoting more sustainable production and consumption.
Article 998 states that China will legally prohibit or restrict the production, sale, and use of certain non-degradable single-use plastic products while encouraging their reduction, recovery, recycling, and replacement.
The Code also promotes alternatives that are:
- Recyclable
- Easy to recover
- Biodegradable
- Harmless
At the same time, businesses involved in retail, e-commerce, express delivery, and food delivery may face reporting requirements concerning the use and recycling of certain single-use plastic products, subject to applicable national requirements.
The direction is therefore becoming increasingly clear.
The industry is moving from simply asking:
“How can we use less plastic?”
to a more important question:
“What materials can replace conventional non-degradable plastics while maintaining the performance required by modern manufacturing?”
This creates opportunities for biodegradable plastics, recyclable materials, and low-carbon polymers.
The Real Opportunity Is Material Substitution, Not the Elimination of Plastics
The regulations do not simply require all plastics to disappear. Instead, they promote reusable, recyclable, biodegradable, and safer alternatives.
This suggests a new development path:
Traditional petrochemical plastics → Green material substitution → Parallel development of circular and low-carbon materials
For applications heavily reliant on the properties of plastics—such as general packaging, shopping bags, food wrap, agricultural films, and express delivery packaging—the true challenge is to align materials with green, low-carbon development goals while retaining the processing characteristics of plastics.
That is why we believe the core of future competition in green materials remains:
Performance + Biodegradability + Low-carbon footprint + Processing adaptability
PPC-P: Turning CO₂ Into a Polymer Raw Material
PPC-P, a CO₂-based high-performance plastic, is developed by Shandong LX Biotechnology Co., Ltd. using copolymerization technology with CO₂, propylene oxide (PO), and phthalic anhydride (PA) as key raw materials.
Unlike traditional plastics that rely on fossil resources as their main carbon source, PPC-P utilizes CO₂ as a polymerization feedstock. This transforms CO₂ from a substance requiring emission reduction into a usable carbon resource, thereby decreasing the consumption of conventional petrochemical raw materials during production.
This represents a key distinction between PPC-P and traditional biodegradable materials:
It focuses not only on whether the material degrades after use but also on the origin of the carbon used to produce it.
From "Biodegradable" to "Low Carbon": A Broader Material Strategy
Biodegradable polymers available on the market include PLA, PBAT, PBS, PHA, and starch-based materials, each offering distinct advantages and application areas.
However, downstream manufacturers rarely evaluate a material based on biodegradability alone.
They also need to consider:
- Can it be processed efficiently?
- Can it be converted into film?
- Does it provide reliable heat sealing?
- Is the transparency sufficient?
- How strong are its barrier properties?
- Is its moisture resistance adequate?
- Can it work with existing production equipment?
- Is the final product commercially competitive?
- Can the material meet applicable regulatory and certification requirements?
For this reason, sustainable plastics need to balance environmental performance with industrial functionality.
PPC-P is being developed with this performance-oriented approach.
Why Is PPC-P Worth Considering?
CO₂-Based Material Technology Creates a New Low-Carbon Pathway
PPC-P uses CO₂ as one of its polymer feedstocks.
While conventional plastics rely heavily on fossil resources, CO2-based polymers introduce another pathway for carbon resource utilization.
For companies working on carbon reduction, carbon footprint management, and green supply chains, this expands the concept of sustainable plastics from simply considering end-of-life treatment to also considering carbon utilization during production.
Biodegradability Provides an Alternative for Single-Use Products
China’s environmental policy is encouraging biodegradable and safer alternatives for certain applications.
PPC-P can be explored for applications where manufacturers need a combination of processability and biodegradable material characteristics, including:
- Biodegradable shopping bags
- Food packaging films and bags
- Fresh-keeping films
- Express delivery packaging
- Agricultural mulch films
- Coated paper
- Disposable tableware
- Composite packaging
- Foamed cushioning materials
- 3D printing materials
The objective is not necessarily to create an entirely new processing ecosystem, but to explore how PPC-P can be integrated into existing polymer processing and product development systems.
For Manufacturers, Biodegradability Alone Is Not Enough
A common concern among buyers of biodegradable plastics is simple:
“If the material is more sustainable, will product performance be compromised?”
For packaging and film applications, manufacturers need to consider strength, transparency, barrier properties, heat sealing, moisture resistance, processing stability, and final product shelf life.
PPC-P is being developed for high-performance film and packaging applications. Depending on formulation and processing conditions, it can provide:
- High barrier properties
- High transparency
- Excellent heat-sealing performance
- Water resistance
- Superior film processing characteristics
- Compatibility for blending with other biodegradable materials
For manufacturers seeking alternatives to conventional PE and PP, this performance-oriented approach can be particularly important.
PPC-P Can Also Be Used in Blended Material Systems
The transition toward sustainable plastics does not necessarily require companies to completely replace existing equipment.
One practical approach is to use material blending and formulation design to gradually upgrade existing products.
PPC-P can be compounded with materials such as PBAT, PLA, PBS, PHA, and starch, depending on the target application.
PPC-P + PBAT
This combination can be explored for flexible applications such as:
- Shopping bags
- Garbage bags
- Agricultural films
- Packaging films
PPC-P + PLA
Blending can be explored for applications requiring a balance of rigidity, transparency, and biodegradability.
This means PPC-P can function not only as an independent material, but also as a potential component within broader biodegradable polymer systems.
Agricultural Mulch Film: From Plastic Residue to Sustainable Alternatives
Agricultural mulch film is an important application in the transition toward sustainable plastics.
Conventional agricultural films provide valuable functions such as:
- Soil moisture retention
- Temperature regulation
- Weed suppression
- Crop protection
However, residual plastic film and difficulties associated with film recovery have created long-term environmental concerns in some agricultural regions.
This has increased interest in biodegradable agricultural film.
PPC-P can be incorporated into biodegradable agricultural film systems. Through material formulation and film design, manufacturers can explore solutions that provide the required service life during crop cultivation while supporting biodegradation after the intended application period.
The goal is not simply to replace one plastic film with another, but to balance:
Crop-cycle performance + environmental compatibility + appropriate degradation behavior
This remains an important area of continued research and field validation.
Food Packaging: Sustainability Must Also Include Safety and Barrier Performance
Food packaging places particularly high demands on sustainable materials.
Consumers expect safety, brands need reliable shelf life, packaging manufacturers require stable processing, and regulators require compliance with applicable food-contact requirements.
Therefore, sustainable food packaging materials should be evaluated for:
- Food-contact safety
- Barrier performance
- Transparency
- Heat-sealing performance
- Processing stability
- Appropriate end-of-life options
PPC-P is undergoing research and development related to food-contact safety, certification, and packaging applications, supporting its further development for food packaging films and related products.
For brands and packaging manufacturers, the evaluation of sustainable materials is becoming more comprehensive:
“Is it safe? How does it perform? What is its carbon profile? How should it be managed at the end of its useful life?”
PPC-P Is More Than a Plastic Substitute
PPC-P can be viewed as one potential material solution for the green transformation of the plastics industry.
The goal is not simply to eliminate plastics. Modern manufacturing continues to depend on polymers for packaging, agriculture, consumer products, and industrial applications.
The more practical question is:
Can we develop plastics with lower-carbon feedstocks, improved environmental performance, and sufficient industrial functionality?
PPC-P explores this possibility by connecting:
CO₂ utilization → polymer production → biodegradable materials → sustainable applications
Potential application areas extend from shopping bags and food packaging to agricultural films, coated paper, disposable products, cushioning materials, and 3D printing.
How Policy and Material Innovation Are Shaping the Future of Plastics？
The implementation of China’s Ecological Environment Code represents an important development in the country’s environmental governance framework.
For the plastics industry, the broader direction is clear:
- Reduce reliance on certain non-degradable single-use plastics
- Promote recyclable and biodegradable alternatives
- Improve resource efficiency
- Develop greener supply chains
- Encourage more sustainable production and consumption
Policy provides the direction.
The market creates the demand.
Material innovation provides the practical tools to connect the two.
For material manufacturers, the next generation of sustainable plastics must be more than environmentally attractive on paper. They need to be:
- Manufacturable
- Processable
- Certifiable
- Commercially viable
- Scalable
- Suitable for real-world applications
This is the development path that PPC-P is exploring.
PPC-P: Making CO₂ Part of the Material Solution
PPC-P combines CO₂ utilization, high-performance polymer technology, and biodegradable material development to explore a new pathway for sustainable plastics.
From carbon resource utilization to biodegradable packaging, from agricultural mulch films to flexible packaging and consumer products, PPC-P is being developed to support the transition toward more sustainable material systems.
Turn CO₂ into a material resource.
Make sustainability part of material performance.
Create new possibilities for the future of plastics.
Shandong LX Biotechnology Co., Ltd. focuses on the research, production, and application development of CO₂-based high-performance biodegradable plastics (PPC-P), working with industry partners to explore scalable solutions for sustainable packaging, agriculture, and other applications.
Note: This article discusses China’s Ecological Environment Code based on the Code and publicly available official information effective August 15, 2026. The specific scope of restrictions on single-use plastics and applicable compliance requirements should be determined according to the latest national catalogs, standards, and implementing regulations.
