Chinese authorities rolled out new regulations on Sunday in a bid to regulate and control plastic pollution.
The regulation, published by China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment and National Development and Reform Commission, laid out three major goals in the course of battling plastic pollution in China, respectively by the time of 2020, 2022 and 2025.
By 2020, some pilot areas and sectors in China will prohibit and restrict the production, sale and use of some plastics, with a total ban on waste plastic imports to be imposed.
By 2022, China will see a significant drop in consumption of disposable plastic products and substitute products will be promoted.
While by 2025, China will establish a management system for the production, circulation, consumption, recycling and disposal of plastic products, according to the new rules.
Products affected include disposable plastic tableware, disposable plastic items provided at hotels, plastic packaging as well as non-biodegradable plastic bags.
Also the production and sale of plastic film in agriculture less than 0.01 millimeters thick, and plastic bags less than 0.025 millimeters thick, will be banned.
