Gift boxes with nested layers, multi-layered shipping packages, takeout containers generating white pollution... In recent years, with the rapid growth of e-commerce and increasingly diverse consumer demands, excessive packaging has become a recurring issue, constantly reinventing itself. This practice not only troubles consumers but also poses an urgent environmental challenge requiring green solutions.
For products, packaging serves to protect and decorate. Historically, packaging materials were typically sourced from nature. With significant advances in productivity, materials gradually shifted to paper, plastic, glass, and other substances. Concurrently, developments in printing and decorative techniques enhanced packaging aesthetics, expanding its functional scope.Today, the design and craftsmanship of packaging not only reflect a product's value to some extent but also influence consumer purchasing decisions. Particularly in the era of online shopping, packaging has become an indispensable part of delivery logistics, playing a crucial role in protecting goods and preventing damage. Why does excessive packaging persist? Whether it's ostentatious gift boxes or overly fortified shipping parcels, the root cause lies in businesses' inherent tendency to maximize profit while minimizing risk.For businesses facing increasingly homogenized production and sales amid fierce market competition, investing heavily in packaging offers a more cost-effective solution than dedicating significant time and resources to improving product quality. Many consumers have noticed this phenomenon: products of similar quality often command higher prices if their packaging is more elaborate and luxurious. To pursue greater profits, some businesses prioritize packaging over product quality, sometimes resorting to excessive packaging.Moreover, during shipping, merchants often bear the cost of damaged goods. To ensure items arrive intact, the simplest approach is to layer packaging generously—better too much than too little.
Long-term, the negative impacts of excessive packaging are significant. On one hand, it consumes vast amounts of paper, tape, foam, and other materials, wasting resources.On the other hand, redundant packaging has low recycling rates. Disposable materials like tape and foam are often discarded, creating waste that is difficult to process and degrade, potentially causing long-term pollution of water, soil, and air. Furthermore, substandard packaging may contain plasticizers, excessive heavy metals, and toxic organic compounds that can harm consumers' health through skin contact.
In fact, excessive packaging is not a new issue; it has long drawn societal attention, and relevant authorities have taken proactive measures. In March last year, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the State Post Bureau issued the "Implementation Opinions on Launching Green Product Certification for Express Packaging." In October of the same year, the "Green Product Certification Rules for Express Packaging" were released, establishing green certification thresholds for express packaging products.This March, the "Measures for the Administration of Mail and Express Delivery Packaging" officially took effect. These regulations clarify packaging selection requirements, mandate the establishment of packaging management systems, require the use of environmentally friendly materials as specified, and propose measures for packaging reduction. They also encourage delivery companies to establish robust working mechanisms and recycling processes to recover and reuse packaging materials. These comprehensive measures have effectively curbed excessive packaging and promoted deeper public awareness of green and eco-friendly concepts. Though seemingly minor, everyday packaging poses a significant challenge to the industry's green development.Resolving excessive packaging cannot be achieved overnight. Regulatory authorities, businesses, and consumers must collaborate persistently, focusing on the details and working steadily over time to reduce excessive packaging at its source. Only then can lightweight packaging, simplified packaging, and packaging recycling become a new social norm.
People's Daily (Page 10, August 10, 2021)