China has successfully established a comprehensive industrial framework positioning bamboo as a premier substitute for plastic, marking a significant advancement in sustainable material development. The National Forestry and Grassland Administration confirmed the industry now boasts an impressive annual output value exceeding 520 billion yuan ($74.8 billion) with product diversity expanding beyond 15,000 distinct items.
This remarkable growth stems from a dedicated three-year action plan implementing systematic measures to cultivate industrial clusters and optimize the sector’s ecosystem. Government support has been instrumental, with preferential policies allocating over 900 million yuan to bolster relevant industries. The development includes establishment of a specialized standard system encompassing nine categories and 140 items, with China taking leadership in initiating several international standards for bamboo products.
The industry’s expansion has generated substantial economic impact, with bamboo processing enterprises now numbering over 10,000 nationwide. These enterprises provide employment for nearly 29 million workers across the entire industrial chain. Ten Chinese counties have achieved exceptional scale, each hosting bamboo industries with annual output exceeding 10 billion yuan.
China’s natural bamboo resources provide a strong foundation for this growth, with nearly 8 million hectares of bamboo forests producing approximately 150 million metric tons annually. Looking forward, the administration has committed to enhanced measures during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), including strengthened preferential policies to maximize the bamboo industry’s potential in circular economy development. Additional efforts will focus on improving standard systems and deepening technological innovation to further support sustainable industry growth.