On 7-8 November 2023, the First International Symposium on Bamboo as a Substitute for Plastic was held in Beijing. Held under the theme “Collaborative Innovation to Globally Promote Bamboo as a Substitute for Plastic,” the Symposium offered a robust platform for stakeholders from around the world to meet and exchange knowledge and best practices, explore innovation opportunities, improve market mechanisms and encourage policy formulation, ultimately seeking to facilitate the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Marking the one-year anniversary since the launch of the Bamboo as a Substitute for Plastic (BASP) Initiative, the Government of China and INBAR also officially released the Global Action Plan for Bamboo as a Substitute for Plastic (2023-2030) during the opening ceremony. This will function as the main framework for coordinating and implementing the Initiative.

This Symposium was jointly hosted by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China (NFGA) and INBAR. Representatives from many different governments, research institutes, higher education institutions, enterprises, as well as relevant international organizations and non-governmental organizations attended the meeting to discuss the development of and partnership within the bamboo-based plastic industry.