400,000 Square Meter Exhibition Witnesses Green Transformation! Biodegradable Tableware Leads the Global "Bamboo-for-Plastic" Wave with Technological Breakthroughs

From March 30th to April 2nd, 2025, the Shanghai National Exhibition and Convention Center hosted the annual industry event – ​​HOTELEX Shanghai International Biodegradable Tableware Exhibition. Within the 400,000 square meter exhibition hall, over 3,000 domestic and international exhibitors showcased tens of thousands of new products. Among them, all-bamboo fiber biodegradable tableware, with its internationally leading technological strength and ecological advantages, became the focus of the exhibition, achieving intended orders exceeding 500 million yuan, demonstrating the global competitiveness of China's "bamboo-for-plastic" solution.

This exhibition closely followed the "dual-carbon" strategy and the plastic ban policy, showcasing the technological innovation achievements of the biodegradable tableware industry. Chongqing Ruizhu Plant Fiber Products Co., Ltd., in collaboration with the International Bamboo and Rattan Centre, has developed an all-bamboo fiber eco-friendly lunchbox. Expert evaluation has confirmed it has reached international leading levels. Its "steam explosion-mechanical thermal grinding" physical treatment process and "hydrogen bond self-adhesive wet molding" molding technology achieve green manufacturing across the entire chain, from bamboo material to tableware. According to Wang Jianzhong, the company's head, the product has a lower density than traditional PLA lunchboxes, yet its tensile strength is 2.43 times higher. Its volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions in four simulated food liquids are significantly lower than those of plastic tableware, and its natural degradation weight loss rate within 15 weeks is nearly 50%. This year alone, it has exported 150 million sets.

At the exhibition, bamboo pulp tableware was also highly sought after. The product has a temperature resistance range of -20℃ to 220℃ and degrades into organic fertilizer in 90 days. Its stable performance has earned it five additional orders from German customers. “Producing 10,000 plates reduces plastic usage by 3.2 tons and can increase bamboo farmers' annual income by 1,200 yuan per mu,” a company representative explained, attracting numerous overseas buyers to stop and discuss business.

As a biodegradable tableware manufacturer, the company showcased over 100 SKUs, including biodegradable packaging bags and plant fiber baking trays, under the theme “Carbon-Driven Future.” Its one-stop customization service, supported by six intelligent production bases, garnered cooperation intentions with several tea beverage brands. At the China Catering Industry Ecosystem Summit held concurrently with the exhibition, experts pointed out that with the implementation of the “Three-Year Action Plan for Accelerating the Development of Bamboo-Based Plastic Replacement,” breakthroughs in the environmental performance and safety standards of biodegradable tableware such as bamboo fiber are gradually addressing the industry's pain points of high cost and weak performance. The market penetration rate is expected to reach 30% by 2025.

This exhibition not only served as a platform for technical exchange but also reflected the global trend of green transformation in catering packaging. From the booming signings at the Shanghai exhibition to the continuous expansion into the international market, Chinese biodegradable tableware companies are using technological innovation as the key to unlock the win-win code of "ecological benefits + economic benefits" and provide a sustainable Chinese solution for global plastic pollution control.