Hangzhou, China – September 12, 2025 – Against the backdrop of West Lake, the 17th Chemical Regulatory Annual Conference (CRAC China 2025) concluded successfully in Hangzhou, China. Organized by REACH24H Consulting Group, the two-day forum drew more than 400 participants from regulatory agencies, international organizations, global companies, and the media.

With sessions covering chemicals, pesticides, cosmetics, and customs, a key highlight of this year’s conference was the Recycled Plastics & Synthetic Resins Compliance Session, which brought together leading policymakers, researchers, and industry practitioners to explore regulatory frameworks, technical standards, and innovative solutions for sustainable plastics. Participants gained in-depth insights into China’s circular economy initiatives, emerging international standards, AI-driven decontamination assessments for food-contact recycled plastics, and Japan’s positive list system for synthetic resins.

Global and Domestic Strategies to Combat Plastic Pollution

Mr. Guanglong Wu, Chief Expert and Division Director at the Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China (MEE), delivered an authoritative keynote on the global fight against plastic pollution.

He highlighted the urgency of tackling additives and toxic substances that leach from plastics, framing them as a major pollution source. Mr. Wu also outlined progress under the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) and the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) in developing a legally binding global treaty on plastic pollution.

Turning to China’s domestic journey, Mr. Wu traced the country’s evolution from problem-oriented policies toward a full life-cycle governance framework. He emphasized that reducing plastic at the source, advancing green product design, improving collection networks, and tightening end-of-life management—supported by regulatory, technological, and systemic measures—form the backbone of effective governance.

From Scale to Sustainability: The Evolution of China’s Recycled Plastics Sector

Mr. Yonggang Wang, Secretary-General of the Plastic Recycling Association of CRRA, presented a comprehensive overview of China’s recycled plastics sector. Mr. Wang underscored how the industry, shaped by China’s Dual Carbon Goals and circular economy ambitions, is shifting from large-scale, low-margin production toward high-value, sustainable applications. He stressed that enterprises must align with evolving policies and technical standards, improve recycling rates and product quality, and foster cross-chain collaboration to address plastic pollution and optimize resource utilization.

Looking ahead, He projected that breakthroughs in advanced recycling technologies, digitalized management, and rising consumer demand will position recycled plastics as a cornerstone of China’s green economy transformation.

Advancing Recycled Plastics Identification and Standardization

As China’s recycled plastics industry expands rapidly, accurate and reliable identification of recycled materials has become a critical factor for industry standardization and high-quality development.

Mr. Qinbao Lin, Research Professor from Jinan University, provided a comprehensive overview of the latest technological advancements and standardization efforts. He highlighted that, by leveraging GC-MS, FTIR, and machine learning techniques, researchers have successfully distinguished recycled from raw PS, PE, and PET, while also identifying degradation products and contaminant markers.

Several national and industry standards, including PET and PP identification guidelines, have already been issued or are currently under development.

Looking ahead, Mr. Lin noted that research will extend to additional polymers such as PC, while also advancing quantitative content analysis and carbon footprint assessment, providing robust technical support for the sustainable and healthy growth of the recycled plastics sector.

AI-Powered Decontamination Assessment for Food-Contact Recycled Plastics

As artificial intelligence technologies continue to advance, AI-based decontamination assessment modules are increasingly being applied in the production of food-contact recycled plastics.

Mr. Huimin Xu, Project Manager at the Plastics Industry Development Center (PIDC), highlighted that post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics may retain chemical contaminants, and conventional “challenge testing” methods are often costly, time-consuming, and lack predictive capability.

The AI module addresses these challenges by vectorizing process parameters—such as temperature,  time, and vacuum level—alongside contaminant data, creating a structured knowledge base. By integrating official guidance, verified reports, and scientific literature from the FDA, EFSA, and other regulatory bodies, the system automates data extraction, comparison, and analysis.

This approach enables rapid evaluation of decontamination efficiency, detection of abnormal process parameters, and prediction of compliance for new production methods. It also generates digitalized assessment reports, significantly reducing R&D and certification timelines. By leveraging this technology, enterprises can better meet ESG goals, enhance supply chain safety and brand trust, and provide regulators with a consistent, efficient review tool for compliance oversight.

Japan’s Positive List System for Synthetic Resin FCMs: Key Compliance Insights

In recent years, Japan has steadily enhanced its regulatory framework for food-contact materials (FCMs), with the implementation of the Positive List System emerging as a core compliance requirement for companies entering the Japanese market. Mr. Takeshi Kajiwara, Director of the Planning Office at the Japan Chemical Innovation and Inspection Institute (JCII), outlined the key points of the Positive List System for synthetic resin FCMs.

Under Japan’s Food Sanitation Act, substances not included in the positive list are prohibited from use in synthetic resin utensils and packaging. The updated regulations, effective June 2025, clarified the scope of additive management and established exemptions for non-contact layers in multilayer structures. Additionally, physically recycled synthetic resins can be included in the list, with their original additives treated as part of the base material composition.

REACH24H Champions Green Transformation in Recycled Plastics

Looking ahead, REACH24H Consulting Group will continue to support enterprises in enhancing compliance capabilities, advancing technological upgrades, and promoting green transformation. These efforts aim to accelerate plastic recycling, foster sustainable development, and drive high-quality growth across the industry.

About CRAC

Since 2009, the Chemical Regulatory Annual Conference (CRAC) has brought together global forces for 17 consecutive years to build industry dialogue, invite global government agencies, industry experts, and business representatives to discuss global chemical management trends, exchange international advanced management experience, and extend to sub-sectors such as pesticides, disinfectants, cosmetics, food contact materials, pharmaceuticals, green and low-carbon sectors, and promote green, safe, and sustainable development of the industry, injecting new vitality into the benign development of the industry.

Over the years, CRAC has established partnerships with renowned institutions such as the Helsinki Chemicals Forum (HCF), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the European Commission (EC), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and more. Notably, CRAC has attracted distinguished global government agencies and associations to its events, including the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, the Ministry of Emergency Management of China, the Ministry of Transport of China, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, the European Chemicals Agency, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institute of Environmental Research of South Korea, and many other government agencies and organizations.

CRAC Organizer: About REACH24H

Established in 2009, REACH24H Consulting Group specializes in delivering comprehensive global market access services to companies operating in various sectors such as industrial chemicals, agrochemicals, disinfectants, cosmetics, food, packaging materials, pharmaceuticals, and automobiles.

Our diverse team comprises technical experts and international trade specialists based at our headquarters in Hangzhou, China, as well as branches in the US, the UK, Ireland, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore. Through strategic networking with businesses, associations, and government authorities across regions, we stay ahead of compliance needs, ensuring comprehensive solutions and proactive planning.

With a 24-hour global consulting service network and a team of technical experts, REACH24H helps enterprises and high-quality products take the initiative to trade, improving their understanding of technical barriers and assisting international trade departments and businesses to move from passive to active in the global market. Our extensive track record boasts successful assistance to over 15,000 companies worldwide, enabling them to navigate the global market seamlessly and bypass technical trade barriers.