China NDRC Circular Economy Plan Sets 2025 Target for Express Packaging: E-Commerce Parcels to Basically End Secondary Packaging

Information from the NDRC website shows that the commission recently issued the 14th Five-Year Plan for Circular Economy Development (the Plan) to implement the Circular Economy Promotion Law and deepen circular economy development. The Plan calls for fully adopting circular production methods, widely promoting green design and cleaner production, significantly boosting comprehensive resource utilization, and basically establishing a resource-recycling industrial system by 2025. On express packaging, it stresses green governance and original-packaging direct shipping for key parcel categories. By 2025, e-commerce parcels are to basically no longer undergo secondary packaging.

Resource utilization capacity to be significantly enhanced by 2025

The Plan notes that during the 13th Five-Year Plan period, China's circular economy made positive progress: in 2020, main resource productivity was about 26% higher than in 2015; energy consumption per unit of GDP continued to drop markedly; and water consumption per unit of GDP fell by 28% cumulatively. Yet major issues remain, including low resource output efficiency in key sectors, weak standardization in renewable resource recycling, insufficient land guarantees for recycling facilities, difficulty in recycling low-value recyclables, and high generation intensity, inadequate utilization and low added value of comprehensive utilization products for bulk solid waste.

For the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the Plan argues that China must vigorously develop the circular economy, whether seen through the lens of global green trends and climate action or domestic resource demand and utilization. The goal is to tackle prominent contradictions, achieve efficient and circular resource use, and drive high-quality economic and social development.

The Plan requires that by 2025 circular production methods be fully implemented, green design and cleaner production be widely promoted, comprehensive resource utilization capacity be significantly enhanced, and a resource-recycling industrial system be basically established. The waste materials recycling network will become more complete, renewable resource recycling capacity will rise further, and a society-wide resource recycling system will be basically completed. Resource efficiency will improve substantially, renewable resources will replace a larger share of primary resources, and the circular economy will play a more prominent role in safeguarding resource security.

By 2025, main resource productivity is to increase by about 20% from 2020; energy consumption and water consumption per unit of GDP are to fall by about 13.5% and 16%, respectively, compared with 2020; the comprehensive utilization rate of crop straw is to stay above 86%; the comprehensive utilization rate of bulk solid waste is to reach 60%; the comprehensive utilization rate of construction waste is to reach 60%; waste paper utilization is to reach 60 million tonnes; scrap steel utilization is to reach 320 million tonnes; recycled non-ferrous metals output is to reach 20 million tonnes, with recycled copper, recycled aluminum and recycled lead reaching 4 million tonnes, 11.5 million tonnes and 2.9 million tonnes, respectively; and the output value of the resource recycling industry is to reach RMB 5 trillion.

Three key task areas to advance the circular economy

The Plan states that developing the circular economy, promoting economical and intensive resource use, and building both a resource-recycling industrial system and a waste materials recycling system are of major importance for national resource security, carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, and ecological civilization. It sets out three key tasks.

The first is to build a resource-recycling industrial system and raise resource utilization efficiency. This includes green design for key products, cleaner production in key industries, circular development of parks, stronger comprehensive resource utilization, and coordinated disposal of urban waste.

The second is to build a waste materials recycling system and create a resource-recycling society. The Plan calls for a better waste recycling network. Recycling-related facilities should be included in national territorial spatial planning to secure land, the network should be rationally laid out and built to standards, and waste materials collection points should be integrated with domestic waste sorting points. Restrictions on recycling vehicles entering cities and residential communities will be relaxed and managed in a standardized way, with reasonable right of way guaranteed. The Internet Plus Recycling model will be promoted to coordinate online and offline channels, improve standardized recyclers' ability to integrate individual operators, and make it easier for residents to sell recyclables. The operating order of the recycling industry will be regulated, and its image and management level improved. Rural recycling networks will be improved according to local conditions, and urban-rural waste recycling and treatment systems will develop in an integrated way. Supply and marketing cooperatives will be supported in using their sales and service networks to carry out waste materials recycling.

The Plan also calls for well-regulated development of the second-hand goods market. It seeks improved circulation rules and better standards for authentication, evaluation and grading of used vehicles, home appliances and mobile phones, along with orderly circulation and transactions. The Internet Plus Second-hand model will be encouraged, platform management responsibilities strengthened, transaction supervision tightened, and standardized services provided for second-hand transactions. Platforms will be encouraged to bring in third-party professional second-hand dealers to improve transaction efficiency. Offline physical second-hand markets will be built and operated to standard, and centralized, standardized flea markets will be encouraged. Schools at all levels will be encouraged to set up old-book sharing corners and sharing days to promote book exchange among teachers and students, while communities will be encouraged to regularly organize second-hand trading activities to circulate idle household items. The Plan also calls for upgrading renewable resource processing and utilization and promoting high-quality development of remanufacturing.

The third is to deepen agricultural circular economy development and establish circular agricultural production methods. The Plan proposes stronger resource utilization of agricultural and forestry waste, better recycling of waste agricultural materials, and promotion of circular agriculture models.

In addition, the Plan outlines eleven key actions: the urban waste materials circular utilization system construction project; the park circular development project; the bulk solid waste comprehensive utilization demonstration project; the construction waste resource utilization demonstration project; the circular economy key technology and equipment innovation project; the high-quality development action for remanufacturing; the action to improve recycling and utilization of waste electrical and electronic products; the action to advance full life-cycle management of automobiles; the special action for full-chain plastic pollution control; the action to advance green transformation of express packaging; and the action for circular utilization of waste power batteries.

In express packaging specifically, the Plan calls for stronger green governance and cooperation between e-commerce companies and manufacturers to achieve original-packaging direct shipping for key parcel categories. It encourages upstream and downstream players in packaging production, e-commerce and express delivery to form industry alliances; supports a qualified supplier system for express packaging products; pushes manufacturers to voluntarily reduce packaging; and implements a green product certification system for express packaging. Pilot programs will scale up recyclable express packaging and sharply increase the use of circular transfer bags and boxes. Standardized, green, shared turnover boxes will be promoted more widely. E-commerce and express delivery firms are encouraged to work with commercial institutions, convenience stores and property service companies to set up agreed collection points and specialized recycling facilities for recyclable express packaging. By 2025, e-commerce parcels are to basically no longer require secondary packaging, and recyclable express packaging application is to reach 10 million units.

Source: China Packaging Network (pack.cn); original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-377725.html