Analysis of China's Degradable Plastics Industry Chain and Regional Market Landscape in 2021: Market Concentration Among Enterprises Yet to Improve

China's degradable plastics market concentration needs to be improved

The degradable plastics industry chain is mainly divided into three parts: design and key raw materials, degradable plastic products, and applications of degradable plastics. Among them, PLA and PBAT are the main future development directions of degradable materials. Representative enterprises in China's degradable plastics industry chain are distributed in Shandong, Anhui, Guangdong, Jiangsu and other regions, but at present enterprise production scales are generally small and market concentration needs to be improved.

1. Panoramic review of the degradable plastics industry chain: PLA and PBAT are the main future development directions of degradable materials

The upstream of the degradable plastics industry chain is the production of raw materials. Classified by raw material source, raw materials are roughly divided into bio-based plastics and petroleum-based plastics. Among them, the basic raw materials of bio-based plastics (such as starch-based plastics, PLA, PHA, etc.) are renewable natural biomass resources such as starch (e.g., corn, potato), plant straw and chitin, while petroleum-based plastics (such as PBAT, PCL, PBS, PGA, etc.) are formed with petrochemical products as monomers;

The midstream of the degradable plastics industry chain is the production of degradable plastic products, which include single-use tableware, single-use plastic bags, packaging paper, clothing, agricultural films, 3D printing materials and pharmaceutical materials;

The downstream of the industry chain is the application of degradable plastics, involving fields such as packaging, electronics, automotive and transportation, consumer goods, textiles, agriculture, coatings, 3D printing, modern medicine, and buildings and construction.

Chart 1: Structure chart of the degradable plastics industry chain

In recent years, developed countries and regions such as Europe, the United States and Japan have successively formulated and issued relevant regulations, restricting the use of non-degradable plastics through partial bans, restrictions on use, mandatory collection and pollution taxes, and vigorously developing fully biodegradable new materials to protect the environment and the soil.

From 2019 to 2020, multiple countries in Asia also issued plastic restriction policies, including China, Pakistan, India, the Philippines, Thailand and Algeria; in the period ahead, demand for biodegradable plastics in Asia will grow rapidly.

PLA and PBAT are the main future development directions of degradable materials. PLA is one of the most common degradable plastics; its production process is pollution-free, and the product can degrade into carbon dioxide and water without affecting the environment.

PLA also features reliable biological safety, biodegradability, good mechanical properties and easy processing, and is widely used in packaging, the textile industry, agricultural mulch film and biomedical polymers.

PBAT, meanwhile, is a thermoplastic degradable plastic with good ductility and elongation at break as well as good heat resistance and impact performance. Because PBAT has good film-forming performance and is easy to blow-film, it is widely used in single-use packaging films and agricultural films. Because petroleum-based materials cost less, the technology and engineering are more mature and investment intensity is smaller, combined with its properties, fields of use and production cost, PBAT is expected to become the largest degradable plastics category in the future.

At present, representative Chinese enterprises producing PLA and PBAT include Kingfa Sci. & Tech., Jindan Technology, COFCO Technology, Wangjinglong, Huaxin New Materials, Guanghua Weiye, Fengyuan Group, Hisun Biomaterials, Tianren Biological, Tongjieliang Biological, Hengli Petrochemical, Tongcheng New Material, Yifan Pharmaceutical, Ruifeng Hi-Tech, Wanhua Chemical, Lanshan Tunhe and others.

Chart 2: Panoramic map of the degradable plastics industry chain

1. Regional heatmap of China's degradable plastics industry chain: at present enterprise production scales are generally small and market concentration needs to be improved

Judging from the regional distribution of representative enterprises in the degradable plastics industry chain, such enterprises in China are distributed in Shandong, Anhui, Guangdong, Jiangsu and other regions, but at present enterprise production scales are generally small and market concentration needs to be improved.

Chart 3: Regional heatmap of representative enterprises in the degradable plastics industry chain

The biodegradable plastics industry is an emerging industry. Because profits only arise after the funds invested in building this technology reach a certain scale, small and medium-sized enterprises, with limited financial strength, cannot achieve economies of scale, cost efficiency or market promotion intensity; product costs are too high and hard to promote and apply domestically. At present domestic enterprises' production scales are generally small and market concentration needs to be improved.

At present, enterprises with strong production strength in China's degradable plastics industry chain include Kingfa Sci. & Tech., Jindan Technology, Hengli Petrochemical, Hengyi Petrochemical, Wangjinglong, Rongsheng Petrochemical, Huafeng Chemical, COFCO Technology, Wote Group, Huaxin New Materials, Guanghua Weiye, Fengyuan Group, Hisun Biomaterials, Tongcheng New Material, Yifan Pharmaceutical, Danhua Technology, Ruifeng Hi-Tech, Prince New Materials, Yuto Technology, Guoen Holdings, Tianyuan Group, *ST Zhaoxin and others.

Chart 4: Regional distribution map of some representative enterprises in the degradable plastics industry chain

For more data and analysis, please refer to the "Market Foresight and Investment Strategy Planning Analysis Report on China's Degradable Plastics Industry" by Qianzhan Industry Research Institute. Qianzhan Industry Research Institute also provides solutions such as industry big data, industrial planning, industrial application, industrial park planning, industrial investment promotion, IPO feasibility studies and prospectus writing.

——This article is reproduced from China Packaging Network (pack.cn), original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-377639.html