Challenges in Implementing Bio-based Packaging

In the context of the policy of plastic pollution control and the continuous strengthening of the "double carbon" goal, catering packaging has become one of the most difficult and most difficult links to truly transform in the plastic reduction action.

On December 19, McDonald's China announced the launch of a green upgrade of meal packaging, and more than 7,500 restaurants across the country will successively use new bio-based packaging with polylactic acid (PLA) and paper as the core. According to official disclosures, the adjustment is expected to reduce the use of petroleum-based plastics by more than 5,800 tons per year. This number is not small in the chain restaurant sector, but if it is included in the entire plastic consumption system, its significance still needs to be examined in a calmer coordinate system.

From an industry perspective, this is not a simple "environmental statement", but a reality test under the constraints of standardization, cost control and supply chain stability.

The scale is large enough, but the alternative path remains cautious

The packaging upgrade covers high-frequency categories such as McCoffee, beverages, Xindi, corn, and porridge, mainly focusing on cup lids and some cup body structures. In terms of specific paths, the cup lid is uniformly made of PLA bio-based materials, and some cup bodies are switched from traditional petroleum-based plastics to paper packaging materials. In other words, this is a structural plastic reduction, not a full replacement.

As one of the most industrialized bio-based materials, PLA is derived from biomass such as corn and sugarcane, has renewable properties, and is compatible with traditional plastics in injection molding and molding processes. However, its shortcomings are also clear: the heat resistance range is limited, the mechanical properties are highly dependent on the formula, and the application in complex structures and high-load scenarios is still restricted. Because of this, McDonald's China did not directly introduce PLA into packaging parts with higher load-bearing capacity and more complex usage conditions, but chose a structure with relatively controllable risks to land first.

This path of "using first, replacing less, replacing less" itself reflects the boundary of bio-based materials in the real business system.

Behind the million-level test is a hidden cost that is difficult to ignore

According to official information, the upgrade screened about 100 packaging solutions in the research and development stage, and completed more than 2 million practical verifications. The signal released by this number is clear: the large-scale implementation of bio-based packaging is not replicated as soon as the policy arrives, but is premised on high-density trial and error and cost investment.

For chain restaurants, packaging is a high-frequency consumable, and any small performance fluctuations will be exponentially amplified in stores across the country. Leakage, deformation, and insufficient heat resistance all translate directly into complaints, waste, and operational risks. Therefore, million-level testing is both technical validation and risk screening. But it also needs to be noted that this kind of investment is almost unbearable for small and medium-sized catering brands, which also explains why bio-based packaging has stayed in the "head demonstration" stage in the industry for a long time.

Experience optimization addresses "usable", not "better"

At the consumer experience level, the new packaging makes up for the inherent shortcomings of PLA materials through structural and formula optimization. The cold drink cup lid adopts a "double arch anti-spill" structure, which improves the leak-proof performance by raising the ventilation hole and retaining the direct drinking mouth, and has obtained a design patent authorization (CN309649874S). The hot drink cup lid improves toughness and heat resistance through self-developed PLA formula to adapt to higher temperature scenarios.

However, it is important to be aware that these improvements are more about solving the problem of "whether it can be used stably" rather than surpassing traditional plastics in terms of experience. PLA's performance boundaries still exist in high temperatures, long-term placement, or complex logistics environments, which is the fundamental reason why it is currently mainly focused on non-critical components such as cup lids and straws in catering scenarios.

Security and compliance are prerequisites, not advantages

McDonald's China emphasized that all categories of upgraded packaging materials have passed third-party authoritative testing, and all indicators meet national food safety standards, and a strict quality control system has been established in the supply chain access stage. This is crucial in the food contact materials sector, but from an industry perspective, it's more of a bottom line that must be crossed.

If bio-based materials cannot be fully equivalent to traditional materials in terms of safety, their commercialization cannot be discussed. Therefore, compliance does not mean that the risk has disappeared, but only that it has qualified for market entry under the current regulatory framework.

The policy direction is clear, but the pressure of reality has not disappeared

From the perspective of the macro environment, this upgrade is highly in line with policy orientation. The "14th Five-Year Plan" Action Plan for Plastic Pollution Control clearly proposes the application of plastic reduction and alternative materials at the source, and catering packaging is one of the key scenarios; The Green Technology Promotion Catalogue (2024 Edition) also includes a number of bio-based material technologies.

At the international level, the EU Bioeconomy Strategy also proposes to gradually reduce fossil-based plastics in B2B applications. However, the policy provides direction certainty and does not directly solve practical problems such as cost, lack of recycling system, and limited willingness to pay terminals. This is why, driven by policies for many years, the penetration rate of bio-based materials is still slow to increase.

The industrial chain pull is real, but it should not be overestimated

From the perspective of the industrial chain, McDonald's China's centralized procurement has undoubtedly brought stable orders to PLA resin, mold processing and packaging products companies. However, the reduction scale of 5,800 tons/year is still limited in China's huge total plastic consumption.

Industry forecasts show that the global bio-based materials market size may exceed $80 billion in 2025, and China is expected to account for more than 40%, but the proportion of technological achievements transformed into large-scale applications is still less than 20%. This means that the core problem restricting the development of the industry is not the lack of demonstration projects, but the fact that the cost, performance and application system have not yet formed a positive cycle.