China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the policy-maker and watchdog of China's economy, issued a circular recently, encouraging the development and production of timber substitutions to save timber resources.
An official with NDRC expected that domestic timber supply gap will reach 140 to 150 million cubic metres in 2015. Accordingly the government will work out a plan and related standards for timber saving and substitutions.
The official noted that at present, China's comprehensive utilization ratio of timber is around 60 per cent, lower than the world average of 80 per cent.
To solve the shortage of timber resources, it is imperative to better utilize the existing domestic forest resources, import timber and plant trees moderately, and develop timber-saving substitutions, said the official.
According to the circular, the government encourages the production and use of timber substitutions and restricts the production and use of one-time wooden products and packaging with natural wood as the raw material and excessive wooden packaging for food, beverages and wines.
By 2010, the circular said, the country's comprehensive utilization ratio of timber resources should be raised to 65 per cent so as to save timber resources of 40-50 million cubic metres a year.
Statistics show that China faces a shortage of timber resources, with per capita forest coverage reaching 0.132 hectare, ranking 134th in the world, and per capita forest reserve being only 9.421 cubic metres, ranking 122nd in the world.Asia Pulse via Yahoo News
