Shanghai Commodity Packaging Reduction Rules Take Effect Feb. 1: Tighter Refinements for Food, Cosmetics and Gift Packaging

Effective Feb. 1, the Several Provisions of Shanghai Municipality on the Reduction of Commodity Packaging enter formal enforcement. As a local regulation for the country, it adds another layer of packaging regulation on top of national standards.

Further refinement built on the national standard

‘Excessive packaging’ generally means packaging whose functional demands go beyond a reasonable level, with void ratio, layer count or cost exceeding what is necessary. In 2009, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine issued GB23350-2009, Requirements for Limiting Excessive Packaging of Commodities - Food and Cosmetics, effective April 1 of the following year. It set strict thresholds for packaging layers, void ratio and cost across food and cosmetics, requiring beverages, alcoholic drinks, pastries and cosmetics to use no more than three packaging layers;

For packaging void ratio, health foods and cosmetics must keep voids at no more than 50% of the commodity volume; in addition, the combined cost of all packaging other than the primary pack must not exceed 20% of the commodity’s selling price. According to Shanghai authorities, the Provisions are a refinement of the existing national standard: they impose binding requirements on commodities that already face excessive-packaging limits and use the JJF1070 dosing technical specification as an inspection method to make the rules more workable. For products outside the food and cosmetics categories, where the state has not yet issued excessive-packaging limits, guiding packaging specifications will be developed together with relevant administrative departments and industry associations.

Gift-box packaging remains a 'disaster zone'

With national standards on one side and Shanghai’s refined local rules on the other, what does excessive packaging look like in actual retail? A reporter’s investigation found that suspected excessive packaging remains prominent in certain sectors.

Before the Spring Festival, RT-Mart’s Zhabei store drew brisk shopper traffic, with many consumers selecting gift boxes for family and friends. Tea gift boxes were promoted in prominent shelf space and were elaborately packaged. The reporter opened a product called 'Yijiangnan Gift Box': inside the large box was golden silk lining, with two square boxes of premium Longjing tea in the middle, and only inside those was the tea in sealed bags. A visual estimate alone showed a void ratio clearly above 55%, indicating suspected excessive packaging. Sales staff said the gift box also came with a free handbag, which by that measure put the number of packaging layers under suspicion as well.

At the liquor counter of Century Lianhua supermarket in Bailian Zhonghuan Shopping Plaza, products such as ten-year-aged Moutai Zhenpin, Guolong liquor and dry red wine all came in finely made wooden boxes, yet visual inspection also pointed to excessive empty space. The reporter learned through other channels that these wooden boxes can be sold separately at 20 yuan each, while some dry red wines retail for only 50 to 100 yuan. Applying the rule that packaging cost must not exceed 20% of the commodity’s selling price, they too are suspected of excessive packaging.

Visits to large shopping malls and supermarkets showed that sanitary products, personal care items, cosmetics and some everyday foods were largely free of excessive packaging. In tea, health products, alcoholic drinks, chocolate and candy, however, suspected excessive packaging was more serious. For instance, some liquors used wooden boxes or included free wine glasses, pushing up packaging void ratio; some chocolate and candy gift boxes placed a plastic tray inside a tin, yet contained very few chocolates. Overall, most products suspected of excessive packaging were gift-box formats.

Supermarkets and manufacturers start to clean up

The reporter also learned that because the Provisions bring the sales stage under supervision for the first time, many supermarkets have begun self-rectification and are removing excessively packaged products from shelves. An internal notice at Nonggongshang Supermarket reminded stores to monitor commodity void ratio and packaging layers, citing examples such as 'grain packaging must not exceed two layers and void ratio must not exceed 10%'.

On the production side, many enterprises and industry organizations have also started to take action. Wang Mugen, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai Tea Industry Association, revealed that the association is stepping up notices to merchants about excessive packaging and may later launch a unified 'reject excessive packaging' campaign.

However, a person in charge at the candy company Hsu Fu Chi acknowledged that chocolate is often treated as a 'gift', and moderately refined packaging better meets market demand—an industry practice—so the boundary and measure of excessive packaging still need clearer definition. It is reported that Hsu Fu Chi has already abandoned gift-box packaging. The executive strongly supports reducing packaging: 'In the long run, the more mature an enterprise’s operations become, the less it needs excessive packaging. This is an important part of sharing value with society and advancing sustainable development.'

Source: China Packaging Network (pack.cn); original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-362003.html