The furniture industry is a livelihood industry and an evergreen industry. It has made positive contributions to serving the country's economic development and satisfying people's better lives. China is the world's largest furniture producer, exporter and consumer. The furniture industry is striving to achieve green and low-carbon development, and to contribute to the global sustainable development of the industry with the responsibility of a major country. Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments issued the "Three-Year Action Plan to Accelerate the Development of "Bamboo Substitute Plastic"" (Development and Reform Environmental Resources [2023] No. 1375, hereinafter referred to as the "Action Plan"), which provides various industries with the path direction, specific measures and support policies for the development of "bamboo substitute plastic", and is an action guide for achieving green and sustainable development of the industry. As a subdivided category, plastic furniture occupies a certain proportion in the furniture industry. Furniture "substituting bamboo for plastic" has broad development space and realistic application basis. At the same time, the "Action Plan" proposes to give full play to the role of social organizations such as industry associations, carry out various activities, guide "bamboo substitute plastic" enterprises to make good use of national policies and measures, and promote the coordinated development of the entire industry chain. The furniture industry and furniture associations in various places should fully pay attention to and implement the requirements of the "Action Plan", and carry out alternative research and application promotion work in combination with their own characteristics and enterprise needs.
1. Innovation leads, stimulates the endogenous momentum of "replacing plastic with bamboo"
Innovation is an important engine for the development of human society. Adhering to innovation leads will effectively enhance the internal driving force of furniture enterprises and promote the furniture industry to move towards a high level of "replacing plastic with bamboo". The Action Plan proposes to organize scientific research related to "replacing plastic with bamboo", break through a number of key common technologies and major equipment, support enterprises to increase investment in core technology research and transformation of scientific and technological achievements, and enrich new technologies and new products of "replacing plastic with bamboo". The furniture industry should increase investment in scientific research in the field of "replacing plastic with bamboo", promote the upgrading and transformation of materials, processes, equipment, etc., and provide basic guarantees for replacement work; adhere to design innovation, effectively improve the design capabilities of bamboo furniture and the application scope of bamboo materials, further reduce the use of plastics in furniture products, reduce replacement costs, and improve replacement efficiency; adhere to innovation in development models, comprehensively consider environmental, social, governance and other factors, and contribute to the industry's carbon reduction and sustainable development through "replacing plastic with bamboo". Industry associations should strengthen their support for the scientific and technological innovation of enterprises, provide support and endorsement in the application for excellence, review and evaluation, and actively create a good development atmosphere for "replacing plastic with bamboo".
2. Collaborative development, building an ecological system for "replacing plastic with bamboo"
In the future, the world's competition will evolve from competition between enterprises, industries, and industrial chains to competition between industrial ecosystems. Accelerating the coordinated development of large-scale home furnishings and the entire industrial chain and seizing the opportunity of "replacing plastic with bamboo" will help enterprises lay out the future ecological system and achieve new transcendence in the new track. The Action Plan proposes to encourage major bamboo producing areas to expand the upstream, midstream and downstream industrial chains of "raw materials-processing-products-marketing" according to local conditions, and guide commercial circulation enterprises and bamboo product enterprises to coordinate production and sales and connect supply and demand. The furniture industry should speed up the formulation and improvement of relevant standards for bamboo furniture, break through industry boundaries, cooperate with home appliances, building materials, decoration and renovation industries, and build an ecological standard system for bamboo products; strengthen the two-way cultivation of production and consumption, encourage enterprises to develop more practical and environmentally friendly furniture products such as bamboo desks and chairs, bamboo shoe racks, and bamboo lamps, and guide consumers to choose more high-quality and low-carbon bamboo furniture and household items; explore the construction of a furniture "old for new" and recycling system with relevant national and local departments, reduce the cost of furniture product updates, and increase the proportion of bamboo furniture products. Industry associations should play a platform role, coordinate industry organizations in related fields, carry out industrial cooperation, supply and demand docking and other activities, and help the industry build a complete bamboo furniture ecological system from the product dimension and industry dimension.
3. Demonstration and drive, cultivate characteristic clusters of "replacing plastic with bamboo"
Leading enterprises are the core force to promote the development of "replacing plastic with bamboo", and industrial clusters are the key elements of future international competition. Give full play to the demonstration and driving role of leading enterprises and industrial clusters, and create a future-oriented low-carbon development model, which will effectively improve the development efficiency of "replacing plastic with bamboo" in the furniture industry. The Action Plan proposes to select regions with rich bamboo resources and good bamboo industry foundations across the country to build 5-10 "Bamboo instead of plastic" application and promotion bases to consolidate the local "Bamboo instead of plastic" development foundation. The furniture industry should focus on leading enterprises and regions with rich bamboo resources to create world-class bamboo furniture production enterprises and bamboo furniture industry bases with international competitive advantages; through key exhibition platforms such as the China International Furniture Fair, China (Guangzhou) International Furniture Fair, and Shenyang Home Expo, it should carry out academic seminars, product releases, conferences and forums related to "Bamboo instead of plastic" to enhance the attention and recognition of bamboo furniture products. Industry associations should make full use of existing and emerging industrial clusters, carry out skill competitions, credit evaluations, green certification, brand recommendations and other projects, publicize excellent products and enterprises, and create a good image and multi-level positioning of bamboo products.
IV. International cooperation to promote the global practice of "Bamboo instead of plastic"
At present, plastic pollution has become a global environmental problem, and it is imperative to develop safe, environmentally friendly and renewable plastic alternatives. Promoting the global practice of "replacing plastic with bamboo" is an important measure to fulfill the responsibility of a furniture power and implement the global development initiative. The Action Plan proposes to encourage and support Chinese enterprises to go global, promote international capacity cooperation, organize international talent training and exchanges, strengthen the publicity and implementation of relevant standards and certification systems, and promote smooth and convenient international trade, guided by the joint construction of the "Belt and Road". The furniture industry should strengthen cooperation with various countries in the field of "replacing plastic with bamboo", standard formulation, training, and industrial docking through international organizations such as the World Furniture Federation and the Asian Furniture Federation; actively participate in the construction of world-class furniture industry clusters, and create a green and clean world "industrial manufacturing" cluster through the "replacing plastic with bamboo" action; provide enterprises with a good platform for bamboo furniture capacity cooperation, exhibition and trade docking, and publicity and promotion through various international exhibitions and conferences, showcase Chinese bamboo furniture and bamboo culture to the world, help build cultural confidence, and build a strong brand country. Industry associations should make full use of international and domestic resources, strengthen communication and exchanges with governments, industry organizations, and enterprises, spread the concept and experience of "replacing plastic with bamboo", guide more countries and enterprises to participate, and contribute Chinese wisdom to improve global environmental governance.
The furniture industry is a livelihood industry and an evergreen industry. It has made positive contributions to serving the country's economic development and satisfying people's better lives. China is the world's largest furniture producer, exporter and consumer. The furniture industry is striving to achieve green and low-carbon development, and to contribute to the global sustainable development of the industry with the responsibility of a major country. Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments issued the "Three-Year Action Plan to Accelerate the Development of "Bamboo Substitute Plastic"" (Development and Reform Environmental Resources [2023] No. 1375, hereinafter referred to as the "Action Plan"), which provides various industries with the path direction, specific measures and support policies for the development of "bamboo substitute plastic", and is an action guide for achieving green and sustainable development of the industry. As a subdivided category, plastic furniture occupies a certain proportion in the furniture industry. Furniture "substituting bamboo for plastic" has broad development space and realistic application basis. At the same time, the "Action Plan" proposes to give full play to the role of social organizations such as industry associations, carry out various activities, guide "bamboo substitute plastic" enterprises to make good use of national policies and measures, and promote the coordinated development of the entire industry chain. The furniture industry and furniture associations in various places should fully pay attention to and implement the requirements of the "Action Plan", and carry out alternative research and application promotion work in combination with their own characteristics and enterprise needs.
1. Innovation leads, stimulates the endogenous momentum of "replacing plastic with bamboo"
Innovation is an important engine for the development of human society. Adhering to innovation leads will effectively enhance the internal driving force of furniture enterprises and promote the furniture industry to move towards a high level of "replacing plastic with bamboo". The Action Plan proposes to organize scientific research related to "replacing plastic with bamboo", break through a number of key common technologies and major equipment, support enterprises to increase investment in core technology research and transformation of scientific and technological achievements, and enrich new technologies and new products of "replacing plastic with bamboo". The furniture industry should increase investment in scientific research in the field of "replacing plastic with bamboo", promote the upgrading and transformation of materials, processes, equipment, etc., and provide basic guarantees for replacement work; adhere to design innovation, effectively improve the design capabilities of bamboo furniture and the application scope of bamboo materials, further reduce the use of plastics in furniture products, reduce replacement costs, and improve replacement efficiency; adhere to innovation in development models, comprehensively consider environmental, social, governance and other factors, and contribute to the industry's carbon reduction and sustainable development through "replacing plastic with bamboo". Industry associations should strengthen their support for the scientific and technological innovation of enterprises, provide support and endorsement in the application for excellence, review and evaluation, and actively create a good development atmosphere for "replacing plastic with bamboo".
2. Collaborative development, building an ecological system for "replacing plastic with bamboo"
In the future, the world's competition will evolve from competition between enterprises, industries, and industrial chains to competition between industrial ecosystems. Accelerating the coordinated development of large-scale home furnishings and the entire industrial chain and seizing the opportunity of "replacing plastic with bamboo" will help enterprises lay out the future ecological system and achieve new transcendence in the new track. The Action Plan proposes to encourage major bamboo producing areas to expand the upstream, midstream and downstream industrial chains of "raw materials-processing-products-marketing" according to local conditions, and guide commercial circulation enterprises and bamboo product enterprises to coordinate production and sales and connect supply and demand. The furniture industry should speed up the formulation and improvement of relevant standards for bamboo furniture, break through industry boundaries, cooperate with home appliances, building materials, decoration and renovation industries, and build an ecological standard system for bamboo products; strengthen the two-way cultivation of production and consumption, encourage enterprises to develop more practical and environmentally friendly furniture products such as bamboo desks and chairs, bamboo shoe racks, and bamboo lamps, and guide consumers to choose more high-quality and low-carbon bamboo furniture and household items; explore the construction of a furniture "old for new" and recycling system with relevant national and local departments, reduce the cost of furniture product updates, and increase the proportion of bamboo furniture products. Industry associations should play a platform role, coordinate industry organizations in related fields, carry out industrial cooperation, supply and demand docking and other activities, and help the industry build a complete bamboo furniture ecological system from the product dimension and industry dimension.
3. Demonstration and drive, cultivate characteristic clusters of "replacing plastic with bamboo"
Leading enterprises are the core force to promote the development of "replacing plastic with bamboo", and industrial clusters are the key elements of future international competition. Give full play to the demonstration and driving role of leading enterprises and industrial clusters, and create a future-oriented low-carbon development model, which will effectively improve the development efficiency of "replacing plastic with bamboo" in the furniture industry. The Action Plan proposes to select regions with rich bamboo resources and good bamboo industry foundations across the country to build 5-10 "Bamboo instead of plastic" application and promotion bases to consolidate the local "Bamboo instead of plastic" development foundation. The furniture industry should focus on leading enterprises and regions with rich bamboo resources to create world-class bamboo furniture production enterprises and bamboo furniture industry bases with international competitive advantages; through key exhibition platforms such as the China International Furniture Fair, China (Guangzhou) International Furniture Fair, and Shenyang Home Expo, it should carry out academic seminars, product releases, conferences and forums related to "Bamboo instead of plastic" to enhance the attention and recognition of bamboo furniture products. Industry associations should make full use of existing and emerging industrial clusters, carry out skill competitions, credit evaluations, green certification, brand recommendations and other projects, publicize excellent products and enterprises, and create a good image and multi-level positioning of bamboo products.
IV. International cooperation to promote the global practice of "Bamboo instead of plastic"
At present, plastic pollution has become a global environmental problem, and it is imperative to develop safe, environmentally friendly and renewable plastic alternatives. Promoting the global practice of "replacing plastic with bamboo" is an important measure to fulfill the responsibility of a furniture power and implement the global development initiative. The Action Plan proposes to encourage and support Chinese enterprises to go global, promote international capacity cooperation, organize international talent training and exchanges, strengthen the publicity and implementation of relevant standards and certification systems, and promote smooth and convenient international trade, guided by the joint construction of the "Belt and Road". The furniture industry should strengthen cooperation with various countries in the field of "replacing plastic with bamboo", standard formulation, training, and industrial docking through international organizations such as the World Furniture Federation and the Asian Furniture Federation; actively participate in the construction of world-class furniture industry clusters, and create a green and clean world "industrial manufacturing" cluster through the "replacing plastic with bamboo" action; provide enterprises with a good platform for bamboo furniture capacity cooperation, exhibition and trade docking, and publicity and promotion through various international exhibitions and conferences, showcase Chinese bamboo furniture and bamboo culture to the world, help build cultural confidence, and build a strong brand country. Industry associations should make full use of international and domestic resources, strengthen communication and exchanges with governments, industry organizations, and enterprises, spread the concept and experience of "replacing plastic with bamboo", guide more countries and enterprises to participate, and contribute Chinese wisdom to improve global environmental governance.
Promoting the furniture industry to "replace plastic with bamboo" will play a positive role in reducing plastic pollution and achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals, and provide a strong impetus for the green transformation of development methods. Under the guidance of the "replace plastic with bamboo" initiative, the China Furniture Association will work hand in hand with the global furniture industry for common development, accelerate the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and contribute more to promoting the construction of a clean and beautiful world!