Straw Transformation Fuels Economic Growth and Environmental Sustainability in Jingmen, China

In Jingmen, Hubei province, China, crop straw has been transformed from waste into a valuable resource, facilitating carbon emission reduction and fostering economic growth. Straw remnants have been ingeniously repurposed into green materials used in the production of furniture.

Wanhua Hexiang Board (Jingmen) Co, a company located at the foot of Shengjing Mountain in Jingmen's Dongbao district, builds cottages using eco-friendly straw boards made primarily from agricultural and forestry residues. The middle layer of the boards is made from tree branches, while the outer two layers are made from straw, which acts as natural flame retardants and moisture barriers.

The company uses 600,000 to 700,000 metric tons of straw annually, reducing carbon emissions by an equivalent of 384,700 tons of carbon dioxide. Wanhua Hexiang is one of 60 companies in Dongbao's agricultural industrial park that transform straw into custom-made furniture. The park's annual output value has reached almost 8 billion yuan.

The local government has played a crucial role in setting up a robust straw collection system to guarantee a steady supply to the industrial park. The Dongbao district government has established four township-level centers and 20 village-level collection points, creating a comprehensive straw collection and storage system.

The Chusheng Agricultural Machinery Service Cooperative, established in 2017, serves over 1,000 households collectively owning nearly 270 hectares of farmland. The cooperative has received government subsidies totaling 710,000 yuan, most of which are for the construction of storage facilities and the procurement of machinery. The straw collection business generated over 500,000 yuan in income for the cooperative, machinery operators, and farmers last year.