Green Transformation and Efficient Circulation Lead New Development
In 2025, the polyethylene industry has reached a crucial node of green upgrading, with brilliant innovations emerging. China's first industrialized bio-based polyethylene plant operates stably, with an annual capacity of 100,000 tons; the global polyethylene recycling rate has exceeded 28%, and China's recycled polyethylene output accounts for over 35%. From low-carbon innovation at the raw material end to technological breakthroughs at the recycling end, polyethylene products are shedding their traditional image. Breakthroughs have been made in ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene modification technology and chemical depolymerization recycling process, with the qualification rate of food-contact grade recycled polyethylene reaching 99.8%. Driven by policy support and market demand, the demand for green polyethylene products in packaging, agriculture, medical and other fields has increased by 40% year-on-year, and the industry is accelerating towards low-carbon, high-value and circular development.
1. Green Raw Material Innovation: Large-Scale Breakthrough of Bio-Based Polyethylene
In March 2025, China's first 100,000 tons/year industrial bio-based polyethylene plant, jointly developed by Sinopec and Wanhua Chemical, operated stably in Shandong, marking that China's bio-based polyolefin industry has entered the stage of large-scale production. The plant uses ethanol produced by hydrolysis and fermentation of agricultural and forestry waste as raw material, and realizes polymerization through an independently developed high-efficiency catalyst system. The carbon footprint of the product is 62% lower than that of traditional petroleum-based polyethylene. The product performance is equivalent to traditional polyethylene, with a tensile strength of 28MPa and an impact strength of 10kJ/m², which can be widely used in packaging films, injection molded products and other fields. Internationally, BASF launched the "Green PE" series products with 50% bio-based content, and cooperated with Coca-Cola to launch fully bio-based polyethylene beverage bottles; Brazil's Braskem expanded its bio-based polyethylene capacity to 300,000 tons/year, achieving carbon-neutral production through the sugarcane ethanol route. Bio-based polyethylene is no longer limited to the laboratory stage, and has formed large-scale and market-oriented supply capacity, providing key support for the adjustment of the industry's raw material structure.
2. Recycling Upgrade: Significant Achievements in Polyethylene Circulation System Construction
Driven by both policies and technology, the polyethylene recycling system has achieved leapfrog development. In 2025, China's recycled polyethylene output is expected to reach 3.8 million tons, accounting for 18% of the total polyethylene output, of which chemical recycling accounts for 25%. China's first 10,000-ton polyethylene chemical depolymerization recycling production line was put into operation in Zhejiang. Through catalytic cracking technology, waste polyethylene is converted into high-purity ethylene monomer, with a conversion rate of 92%, and the product purity is comparable to that of crude oil cracking raw materials. In the field of mechanical recycling, intelligent sorting equipment achieves an accuracy rate of over 99% in identifying polyethylene and other plastics, and low-temperature crushing technology reduces energy consumption by 30%. The EU's "Plastic Strategy" promotes the mandatory standard for the blending ratio of recycled polyethylene in packaging to 35%, and China's upgraded "Plastic Restriction Order" clearly stipulates that the utilization rate of recycled polyethylene in e-commerce express packaging should not be less than 40% in 2025. At present, 45 polyethylene special recycling bases have been built nationwide, with online recycling platform users exceeding 8 million, forming a full-chain system of "community recycling + intelligent sorting + professional recycling". The recycling cost of waste polyethylene has decreased by 15% compared with 2024.
3. Technology Innovation Empowers: Accelerated High-Value Application of Polyethylene Products
Technological breakthroughs have promoted the transformation of polyethylene products to high-end and functionalization. In 2025, significant progress has been made in ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) modification technology. Through nano-composite modification, its wear resistance has increased by 40% and impact strength by 35%. It has been successfully applied in high-end medical device joint bearings, mine conveying pipelines and other fields, with domestic market share increasing from 20% to 45%. In the agricultural field, degradable polyethylene mulch films have achieved full life cycle control, with a degradation rate of over 90%. The promotion area in cotton regions such as Xinjiang and Gansu exceeds 10 million mu, reducing farmland residual film pollution by 60%. In the packaging field, the heat-sealing strength of high-performance polyethylene heat-sealing films has increased by 25% and the barrier performance has improved by 30%, meeting the high-end needs of aseptic packaging and cold chain logistics. The new polyethylene catalyst developed by the Institute of Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences reduces the polymerization reaction temperature by 15℃ and energy consumption by 20%. It has been applied in 12 domestic polyethylene plants, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by more than 500,000 tons annually, and promoting the transformation of polyethylene production to high efficiency and low carbon.
4. Industrial Integration Development: Policy and Market Synergy Activate New Kinetic Energy
Industrial chain collaboration and cross-border cooperation have become the new engine for the development of the polyethylene industry. China National Petroleum & Chemical Corporation launched the "Green Polyethylene Industrial Chain Action Plan", and established an industrial alliance with more than 300 downstream enterprises to achieve integrated cooperation from raw material supply, product research and development to recycling. In 2025, the sales volume of green polyethylene products of enterprises in the alliance increased by 55% year-on-year. E-commerce giant JD Logistics cooperated with petrochemical enterprises to develop customized recycled polyethylene express bags, with an annual usage of over 200 million, reducing plastic new material consumption by 12,000 tons. In terms of international cooperation, Sinopec and Shell jointly carried out research and development of polyethylene chemical recycling technology and built the world's first transnational polyethylene recycling traceability platform; the 300,000 tons/year high-performance polyethylene project of Sino-Saudi Petrochemical was put into operation, and the products are exclusively for the high-end automotive interior parts market. At the policy level, the National Development and Reform Commission included bio-based polyethylene in the catalog of strategic emerging industries, providing tax incentives and subsidy support; various localities have established green polyethylene product procurement catalogs to promote priority procurement by governments and state-owned enterprises. The in-depth integration of policy guidance and market demand is promoting the polyethylene industry to form a benign circular ecology of "production - consumption - recycling - regeneration".