Beyond 300 Million Parcels a Day: State Post Bureau Advances Five-Point Green Packaging Governance, Phasing Out Non-Degradable Plastic Bags in Key Regions

On Oct. 22, Ma Junsheng, director of the State Post Bureau, answered a question from Tan Lin, a member of the Environment and Resources Protection Committee of the National People's Congress, about packaging waste from express delivery and food delivery. He said that since the reform of the postal system, express delivery has grown rapidly and daily volume has already exceeded 300 million items. The sector has played a positive role in lowering circulation costs, serving production and daily life, supporting e-commerce and expanding employment, he noted. Yet its development model remains relatively extensive; in particular, express packaging waste keeps rising, drawing strong public reaction and leaving a considerable gap with the requirements of the CPC Central Committee and the expectations of the people.

Ma said the State Post Bureau will earnestly implement the Solid Waste Law, the E-Commerce Law and other legal rules, keep to a people-centered approach, carry out the new development philosophy, and intensify efforts on five fronts to further strengthen green governance of express packaging.

First, it will step up 'consolidation' by building on effective practices. Over the past three years, the State Post Bureau has taken targeted measures to address major express packaging problems, achieving progress in electronic waybills, slimmer tape, recyclable transit bags and standardized packaging operations. Next, it will scale up these practices, aim for full coverage of electronic waybills, recyclable transit bags and slimmer tape as soon as possible, strengthen plastic pollution control in the industry, and gradually stop using non-degradable plastic packaging bags and disposable plastic woven bags in key regions.

Second, it will step up 'reduction' by optimizing express packaging. The bureau will strengthen coordination with upstream manufacturing and e-commerce players, integrate product packaging, sales packaging and express packaging, and substantially cut secondary packaging. It will encourage low-grammage, high-strength packaging and tape-free cartons, while using better structural design to reduce fillers. Reduction will continue, with stronger action against excessive and arbitrary packaging.

Third, it will step up 'recycling' by innovating application models. The bureau will speed up terminal recycling facilities for express packaging and keep raising the reuse rate of intact discarded cartons. It will actively promote recyclable packaging, giving priority to easy-to-fold, easy-to-collect and reusable cartons in same-city, fresh produce and warehouse distribution operations. With relevant departments, it will pilot large-scale use of recyclable packaging, cultivate circular models and expand application scale.

Fourth, it will step up 'supervision' by fulfilling statutory duties. It will intensify oversight and enforcement, use 'double random, one public' inspections, conduct regular fact-finding surveys and seriously investigate and punish all types of illegal and non-compliant acts involving express packaging. It will advance green certification, carry out evaluations, include express packaging violations in industry credit management, and press delivery companies to fulfill their primary responsibility for pollution prevention and control.

Fifth, it will step up 'coordination' by building a co-governance system. The bureau will improve the legal, standards and policy framework consistent with green development, strengthen coordination with relevant departments and local governments, and create a joint force for shared management. It will connect industry, academia, research and application to drive innovation in express packaging products, technologies and models. It will also strengthen publicity and guidance to build a social governance system for express packaging in which everyone has a role and everyone fulfills responsibility.

——This article is reprinted from China Packaging Network (pack.cn). Original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-378511.html