For China, bamboo ‘is where the future lies’ in shift away from polluting plastics
- Anji county, a tourism destination with abundant bamboo, is considered a model example of President Xi’s environmental vision in action
- As the world’s top producer of plastic waste, China is transforming its bamboo industry using advanced technology to produce biodegradable products
With a given name that literally means “forest”, Ye Senlin is proud to be in the business of preserving nature.
Two years ago, he started a company called Senlin Biotechnology that specialises in turning the world’s fastest-growing plant into fully degradable bags, dinner boxes and straws.
Technically a type of grass, bamboo is the richest natural resource in Ye’s hometown of Anji, a county about a three-hour drive from Shanghai. And the plant replenishes itself so rapidly, compared with traditional wood sources, that some say it could be a viable alternative to plastic.
“I’m very confident in the ‘replacing plastics with bamboo’ sector. It’s where the future lies,” Ye said.
Ye was referring to an initiative launched last year by authorities in Anji, which has blossomed into a tourist attraction featuring lush bamboo forests and clean mountain air – a far cry from the town’s industrial roots, with mines and cement factories punctuating the landscape for decades.