Overpackaging Governance: Consumer Awareness and Source Reduction Must Move in Tandem

A 30 ml glass cosmetic bottle arrives after layers of foam paper, a ribboned gift box, wrapping paper, shredded paper and a fist-sized box; overpackaging like this is often mocked and opposed by consumers.

Findings: Some Products Are Still Overpackaged

What Counts as 'Overpackaging'?

Bao Dongsheng, head of the Metrology Management Section of the Hohhot Municipal Administration for Market Regulation, explains that overpackaging goes beyond normal packaging functions and exceeds necessary levels in three areas: packaging void ratio, packaging layers and packaging cost. It shows up as excessive material, weight, volume or cost.

The reporter recently conducted investigations and interviews on excessive product packaging.

On March 30, at a large supermarket, the reporter saw a liquor gift box designed for two bottles holding only one; the decorative yellow silk cloth looked especially luxurious, and multiple packaging layers were present.

On the same day, at a cosmetics counter in a Hohhot shopping mall, nearly all brands offered separate gift boxes with exquisite, luxurious looks; some products claimed that buying the gift box set was more favorable.

Bao says overpackaging's one-sided pursuit of luxury added value consumes substantial resources and worsens environmental pollution; it also encourages some consumers to compare blindly and develop a consumption mindset that values appearance over the product's true quality.

Overpackaged goods are jokingly called 'exquisite garbage' by consumers. In interviews, most consumers said they disliked overpackaging.

At Ms. Wang's home is a luxuriously packaged tea: two small pre-portioned tea bags sit in two pretty tin boxes, which are then placed in a large rigid gift box with foam and dividers, making it look valuable. She says such gift boxes are mainly for giving to others, to appear classy and save face; for personal use, people would certainly not buy the gift box version.

Consumer Mr. Liu reported that overpackaging also appears in toy gifts: ordinary toys or stationery placed in large, pretty blind boxes immediately multiply in value, and the fine packaging ends up thrown away as garbage.

Netizens oppose overpackaging even more strongly, arguing that beyond encouraging comparison, it mainly causes resource waste and environmental pollution.

On March 28, the China Consumers Association released the 'Research on the Issue of Excessive Commodity Packaging and Consumer Perception Survey Report'.

The report shows that 80.7% of consumers oppose overpackaging, while 92.2% are not familiar with the criteria for judging excessive packaging. Because calculating packaging void ratio under the national standard is too professional for ordinary consumers and difficult to popularize, consumers mainly rely on feel; checking whether packaging is 'deceptive packaging' or 'luxurious packaging' is the most frequently used method.

Change: Green Packaging Is Gaining Ground

In recent years, as relevant policies have been introduced, products such as washing powder and laundry detergent are available in both filled and simply packaged versions; these practical green packaging products give consumers more rational choices.

In Inner Mongolia, a more visible change is that the express delivery industry is moving positively toward 'greening, reduction and recyclability'.

Qian Lixing, head of public affairs at SF Express Inner Mongolia, told the reporter that in 2022, to avoid overpackaging, the company fully rolled out green R&D and use plans in green packaging, recyclable packaging, green logistics transport, online optimization of office processes, and energy conservation and emissions reduction, integrating green environmental protection throughout the express delivery chain.

He said the headquarters technical department worked with suppliers to optimize and reshape materials, using new materials, technologies and models to carry out a comprehensive green upgrade and innovation of SF Express packaging. This changed the long-standing use of bubble film as inner packaging, focused on air cushion packaging, reduced packaging material use through locally fixed consumables, and replaced traditional bubble film with inflatable gourd film to cut PE usage. They also increased use of some 'π-BOX' circulating boxes; the PP honeycomb board material accounts for 99% of the box's weight, and the single material makes recycling easier. In 2022, more than 7,000 circulating boxes were used in Inner Mongolia.

The reporter learned from the Inner Mongolia Postal Administration that by the end of 2022, the region's postal industry had reached 98.14% in purchasing and using standard-compliant packaging materials and 97.72% in standardized packaging operations; the use of recyclable express boxes (cartons) reached 424,300 units, and recycled and reused corrugated cartons reached 15.7065 million units. The rate of e-commerce express parcels no longer being secondarily packaged reached 98.95%, and the reduction, standardization and recycling of express packaging improved steadily. This year, the rate of e-commerce express parcels no longer being secondarily packaged will be raised again, two special campaigns will target excessive and arbitrary packaging and plastic pollution, and the green transformation of express packaging across the region will be accelerated.

Direction: 'Slimming Down' Overpackaging

Recently, the General Office of the People's Government of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region issued the 'Notice on Several Measures to Further Strengthen the Governance of Excessive Commodity Packaging' to further strengthen governance of excessive commodity packaging across the region.

An initiative recently issued by the Inner Mongolia Pharmaceutical Industry Association drew the reporter's attention. It calls on drug manufacturers to eliminate excessive drug packaging and let medicines travel light. Wang Yueming, co-secretary-general of the association, says they call on drug manufacturers across the region to prevent excessive drug packaging, reduce packaging costs and achieve packaging material reduction, ultimately 'slimming down' the packaging box, with more pills per blister pack, fewer packaging layers and a lower packaging void ratio. He suggests letting the public deeply understand the harm of excessive drug packaging and correctly understand green packaging, guiding consumers to change the mistaken belief that drug quality can be judged by packaging and price, so they can choose medicines more rationally.

Market supervision departments are also stepping up overpackaging governance. According to Bao, they first regulate at the source by raising manufacturers' awareness of overpackaging's adverse effects. They focus on targeted special enforcement in the circulation field for hot-selling goods such as food and cosmetics, checking whether packaging layers, packaging void ratio, and the ratio of packaging cost to commodity selling price meet national standard requirements. During inspections, law enforcement officers require operators to genuinely improve environmental awareness and reduce resource consumption and waste generation.

In interviews, some industry insiders suggested that while tackling overpackaging at the source, a correct production and consumption philosophy should be established: enterprises should make more value-for-money products rather than spend effort on overpackaging; consumers should consume rationally, see the true value, and not be tempted by flashy overpackaging, jointly promoting simplified packaging as a new trend in green living.

—This article is reprinted from China Packaging Network (pack.cn). Original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-379411.html