Mandy Meng FANG, Environmental Regulation of Plastic Pollution at a Crossroads: The Evolution and Limits of China's Legal Response, 43 Wis. Int'l LJ 91 (2026).
This article investigates China's evolving legal and regulatory
framework for addressing plastic pollution and highlights that the
emergence of the Entire Chain Governance approach in the early 2020s
may mark a critical turning point in the country's plastic management.
Unlike China's prior measures, which narrowly focused on plastic
pollution primarily as a waste disposal issue, the Entire Chain
Governance approach adopts a holistic, integrated perspective that
extends beyond end of pipe solutions to encompass the entire plastic life
cycle. This shift has driven a proliferation of government regulations and
policies at both central and subnational levels in recent years, although it
has attracted limited scholarly attention. Through combined legal and
policy analysis, this article fills this gap by offering a comprehensive
critique of the evolution of China's plastic regulatory regime. While
recognizing the advancements in China's plastic regulations, the article
also identifies significant gaps and complexities that, if not addressed
promptly, risk undermining China's mission to resolve the plastic crisis.
While recognizing notable advancements and increased regulatory
ambition, it also identifies significant gaps, implementation challenges,
and institutional complexities that risk undermining China's objectives to
address the plastic crisis effectively. The article concludes by emphasizing
the urgent need for stronger legal frameworks, particularly focused on
more effectively translating the full life cycle management embodied in
the Entire Chain Governance approach into enforceable legal mandates
and cohesive multi agency coordination mechanisms at this pivotal
crossroads in China's battle against plastic pollution
