The State Council Information Office recently released the white paper "China's Green Development in the New Era". In the part of improving the green level of the service industry, the white paper proposes to upgrade and improve the express green packaging standard system, promote the reduction, standardization and recycling of express packaging, guide manufacturers and consumers to use recyclable express packaging and degradable packaging, and promote e-commerce enterprises. ECO development.
In order to control the excessive waste and non-environmental protection of express packaging and promote the greening of express packaging, my country's "Interim Regulations on Express Delivery" clearly states that the state encourages companies operating express delivery business and senders to use degradable and reusable environmentally friendly packaging materials, and encourages business Enterprises in the express delivery business take measures to recycle express packaging materials to realize the reduction and reuse of packaging materials. The State Post Bureau, the General Administration of Market Supervision and other departments have issued multiple management systems such as the "Green Packaging Specifications for Mail Express", "Guiding Opinions on Strengthening the Standardization of Express Green Packaging", "Catalogue of Green Product Certification for Express Packaging", "Green Product Certification Rules for Express Packaging" and industry norms. The construction of laws and regulations on green express packaging in my country has entered the fast lane.
Years of hard work have yielded certain results. According to the data of the State Post Bureau, as of September 2022, the national express delivery industry will purchase and use standard packaging materials and standard packaging operations. Both proportions will reach 90%. 122,000 recycling devices were set up at the business investment outlets, and 640 million corrugated boxes were recycled and reused. Nevertheless, there is still a big gap between the actual situation of green express packaging in my country and the relevant requirements, and problems such as excessive express packaging and packaging waste still exist. Relevant data show that in 2022, my country's express delivery business volume will complete 110.58 billion pieces, ranking first in the world for 8 consecutive years. The express delivery industry consumes more than 10 million tons of paper waste and about 2 million tons of plastic waste every year, and the trend is increasing year by year.
It is impossible to solve the excessive packaging and packaging waste of express delivery overnight, and it is a long way to go to promote the greenization of express delivery packaging. The white paper proposes "promoting the reduction, standardization and recycling of express packaging", which is the focus of the greening of express packaging in my country. Reduction is to reduce the size of express packaging and materials; recycling is to increase the frequency of use of the same packaging, which is essentially a reduction. At present, many express logistics companies are doing reduction and recycling work. For example, SF Express uses gourd air bubble film instead of conventional air bubble film, and JD Logistics promotes the use of "Qingliu Box". How much can express packaging be reduced to be considered green, what kind of materials should be used for reusable packaging boxes, and how many times it needs to be reused to qualify... These questions need to be answered by standards. It can be seen that in the process of realizing the green express packaging, standardization is the key.
In fact, at present, some express delivery companies are hesitant to use green packaging. On the one hand, it is because of the profit-seeking nature of the company, which has concerns about increasing costs and lacks enthusiasm. All are recommended standards, and it is difficult to form rigid constraints on enterprises. In December 2020, the General Office of the State Council issued the "Opinions on Accelerating the Green Transformation of Express Packaging", emphasizing that it is necessary to formulate and implement mandatory national standards for the harmlessness of express packaging materials, and comprehensively establish a unified, standardized, and powerful express green packaging standard system. This further highlights the importance of standards for the greening of express packaging.
To promote the realization of green express packaging through standardization, relevant government departments should play a leading role. It is necessary to strengthen the top-level design of standardization work, establish a joint working group for express green packaging standardization, and uniformly guide the formulation of express packaging standards. Formulate a standard system framework diagram covering all categories of products, evaluation, management and safety, as well as design, production, sales, use, recovery and recycling. On this basis, upgrade and improve the green standard of express packaging. For example, urgently formulate mandatory national standards related to the harmlessness of express packaging materials; establish and improve standards in key areas such as recyclable express packaging, product and express integrated packaging, qualified packaging procurement management, and green packaging certification; research and formulate degradable materials and packaging Product identification standards, further improve degradable express packaging standards, accelerate the implementation of express packaging green product certification and degradable packaging product identification systems, etc.
With standards, it is even more important to implement them. This requires relevant departments to strengthen supervision in accordance with laws and regulations, while the majority of enterprises must strengthen self-discipline and strictly follow the requirements of laws and regulations. only when it is put into practice and put into action, can the greening of express packaging really achieve results.
