Dual role of agricultural plastic in China's food security and green transition: policy progress and prospects

In the context of food security and the greening of agriculture, the sustainable management of agricultural plastics is critical. Although essential to agricultural production, agricultural plastics pose significant environmental risks, particularly in the waste management phase, requiring urgent intervention. Source reduction and effective recycling are key solutions. Based on a systematic review of policy documents, this study analyzed the evolution of China’s agricultural plastics management policies. This policy framework has progressed through three stages. The first stage focused on increasing production and promoting technology, leading to widespread adoption of agricultural plastics but weak environmental regulation. In the second stage, policies began balancing production growth with environmental protection, with stronger environmental regulations and regional successes, but nationwide systematic management remains inadequate. The third stage emphasizes agricultural sustainability, promoting life-cycle management and regionally differentiated management. Although recycling rates have improved significantly, a long-term sustainable management mechanism is still lacking, and there are many challenges to source reduction and effective recycling. Based on this analysis and incorporating international experience, a set of key strategies is proposed for sustainable management, including establishing a unified national framework with region-specific programs, advancing technological innovation and adoption, and integrating environmental regulations with market mechanisms.