Packaging / Advertising & Office

According to Huacheng Import and Export Data Observation Report, in recent years, with the rapid development of e-commerce, the problem of express packaging recycling has brought some pressure on environmental protection. Some countries actively explored the "green transformation" of express packaging, and made efforts in policies and regulations, technology research and development, supporting facilities and other aspects, achieving results.

A recent report released by McKinsey, an international consulting company, shows that the global awareness of developing recyclable packaging is growing, and 29 of the 30 countries and regions it has studied have started to discuss and implement recyclable packaging regulations. Globally, accelerating the "green transformation" of express packaging from the government, enterprises to the public is becoming a consensus and taking action, Huacheng Import and Export Data Observation reported.

Germany - constantly refining legal provisions

Open the seal simply sealed by the single-layer adhesive tape, and then tear off the easy to lift express bill on the express box. In the daily observation and experience of the reporter, the German express package is relatively simple. If you need to return or replace it, just stick the return bill on the original position of the express bill and seal the box for sending.

In Germany, many express companies provide reusable express envelopes or packaging bags with easy to lift labels and secondary use adhesive strips. According to the survey, 77% of German people believe that the use of reusable express packaging is very important for environmental protection.

In order to reduce the waste of packaging materials, the German government has constantly improved the legal provisions. As early as 1991, Germany began to implement the Packaging Regulations, which required all enterprises selling goods to the German market to be responsible for the recovery and disposal of the outer packaging of their goods, and took the lead in establishing the extended producer responsibility system for packaging materials. To this end, Germany has established a "Green Dot" company specialized in recycling packaging waste. In 2019, Germany officially implemented the new Packaging Law and set up a special regulatory agency - the German Central Packaging Registry, which stipulates that all relevant enterprises must register and declare the total quality and specific material information of packaging materials every year. If the enterprise fails to register, it may be fined up to 200000 euros and prohibited from selling.

Under strict legal supervision, enterprises have continuously strengthened the green treatment of express packaging. Take Amazon Germany as an example. In 2019, the company began to promote the use of 100% recyclable packaging materials, and took environmental protection measures such as reducing packaging volume and gap fillers. In 2021, the company said that it would phase out the use of disposable plastic materials and use paper bags or cardboard boxes as much as possible during transportation.

The new Packaging Law also stipulates that, since July this year, online stores attached to Amazon and other platforms, in addition to the unified registration of the platform, need to separately register with the German Central Packaging Registry for the packaging license of goods transportation, otherwise they will be prohibited from selling. German media analysis pointed out that it is an important measure to promote the sustainable development of e-commerce to constantly refine the legal provisions and strengthen the packaging recycling responsibilities of commodity producers, importers and retailers.

Korea - promote the use of recycled packaging

Over the past two years, Ms. Park, who lives in Seoul, South Korea, has basically bought necessities online, and the number of express boxes has also increased greatly. "The government has strict requirements on the classification of garbage. It took a certain amount of time to dispose and discard these packing boxes and filling materials every day." Ms. Park told the reporter that since the e-commerce platform launched the reusable packaging box, she began to choose this kind of recyclable packaging. "Now we have reduced the use of disposable packaging items. I am very happy that we can contribute to environmental protection through small things in daily life.".

In order to reduce waste pollution, various green packages have been emerging in the Korean market in recent years. Reusable packaging boxes, environmentally friendly ice bags, paper cushioning materials, etc. are increasingly welcomed by enterprises and the public. The government also actively promoted the improvement of recycling measures. The Ministry of Environment of South Korea invited public bidding for reusable packaging materials, including research and development and application of different links such as design, production, recycling, cleaning and popularization.

Ice bags are often used when delivering fresh products. General ice bag packaging belongs to super absorbent resin, which is difficult to be naturally decomposed and burned. The survey shows that the production of environmental protection ice bags in South Korea in 2020 will increase by 2.24 times compared with 2019, but the use of super absorbent resin ice bags will still account for 40%. In order to promote the production and utilization of environmentally friendly materials, the Ministry of Environment of South Korea has imposed garbage disposal fees on manufacturers and importers of super absorbent resin ice bags since this year.

South Korea has promoted ice bag recycling activities in many places, and set up special recycling facilities in living quarters to reward people who recycle ice bags. After professional cleaning, disinfection and drying, the recovered ice bags will be distributed to residents and small and medium-sized businesses for free. Some enterprises also actively develop environment-friendly ice bags. For example, some enterprises have introduced ice bags with biodegradable resin as the outer package and water filled inside, which can be reused and naturally degraded.

The government of Shuiyuan City signed packaging recycling agreements with some supermarkets, and the pilot community set up a special distribution center. After the residents buy the goods, the supermarket uses recyclable packaging materials to wrap the goods and distribute them through the distribution center. After receiving the goods, the consumers put the packaging at their doorstep, and the distribution center will recycle, clean and reuse the packaging. Relevant enterprises said that about 130000 disposable express boxes and 66 tons of garbage could be reduced each year through this measure. At present, Shuiyuan City plans to add distribution centers and pilot communities. This measure is expected to be promoted in other regions of South Korea, as reported by Huacheng Import and Export Data Observation.

Spain - Increase investment in green packaging

Paper or cloth shopping bags of various styles made of recyclable materials, degradable material packaging boxes and bags that can meet the needs of food takeout... On the website of Bolsalea, Spain's largest recyclable packaging e-commerce platform, there are all kinds of recyclable packaging products that can meet the needs of various scenarios. This enterprise, founded in 2009, can provide customers with customized services for designing and manufacturing recyclable packaging products. At present, customers have spread all over Spain.

Recyclable packaging is becoming a new wind outlet in the green investment industry. According to the import and export data of the Spanish National Bureau of Statistics, the proportion of Spanish online shoppers will increase from 58% in 2019 to 63% in 2020. At the same time, people's awareness of environmental protection is also growing. According to a survey by the Spanish Association of Manufacturers and Distributors, at least 30% of Spanish consumers are willing to pay more for using recyclable packaging when shopping online.

A fund management company focusing on green investment in Spain said that at present, a major trend in the packaging industry is to use recyclable or treatable materials such as recyclable cardboard, biodegradable materials and glass. In particular, some large enterprises are moving faster in accelerating the recycling of product packaging. A well-known clothing enterprise launched a green packaging project. Since 2019, the use of disposable plastic shopping bags has been gradually stopped, and the express carton packaging is required to be reused for up to 6 times. If it cannot be reused due to damage and other factors, it will also be recycled.

Some enterprises have also taken incentive measures to promote the use of recyclable packaging. For example, Spain Post cooperated with WWF and other institutions to launch the "Forest Protection Plan". Every time consumers buy a recyclable express carton or envelope, they will donate 5 euro cents for afforestation, forest fire prevention and biodiversity protection. At present, more than 100000 trees have been planted through the plan, and the afforestation area has reached 270 hectares.

The Spanish government announced in November last year that it would invest 42 million euros to build a national packaging technology center in the Larioha Autonomous Region, where there are many packaging enterprises. It is committed to research and innovation on the green packaging materials, covering design, production, recycling and other aspects. The center is expected to be completed next year. Huacheng's import and export data observation report.