Shanghai Opens Public Consultation on China’s First Local Commodity Packaging Reduction Rules

Industry Watch: Shanghai is turning to local legislation to tackle excessive commodity packaging, with a draft now open for public comment.

On July 23, the 35th session of the Standing Committee of the 13th Shanghai Municipal People's Congress reviewed China's first local regulation aimed at reducing commodity packaging—the Several Provisions of Shanghai Municipality on the Reduction of Commodity Packaging (Draft), referred to as the Draft Provisions. The session also invited public feedback. The draft defines departmental responsibilities, uses the sales link as the end-point regulatory lever, strengthens sellers' incoming goods inspection duties, and includes reduction measures focused on packaging material recycling and reuse.

■ Environmental protection and other administrative departments shall include commodity packaging in cleaner production audits and urge manufacturers to package products reasonably.

■ For packaging materials listed in the national mandatory recycling catalogue, producers and sellers shall recycle them under relevant rules.

■ If the public finds packaging that violates mandatory requirements, it may ask sellers to stop selling and report the case to the quality and technical supervision department.

Through local legislation, Shanghai is taking a clear stand against excessive commodity packaging. On July 23, the 35th session of the 13th Shanghai Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee deliberated the Draft Provisions and sought opinions from across society.

This is China's first local regulation on reducing commodity packaging, and a central feature is the stronger purchase-check obligation placed on sellers.

Implementing this packaging-reduction regulation will require relevant functional departments to carry out their duties and work in concert. The Draft Provisions sets out clear responsibilities for each department:

The quality and technical supervision department is responsible for supervising and administering the reduction of commodity packaging.

Industry and commerce, food and drug supervision and other administrative departments must include commodity packaging in their commodity quality inspections and inform the quality and technical supervision department at the same level of the results.

The development and reform administrative department, together with finance and other relevant departments, must formulate incentive measures for reducing commodity packaging under these Provisions.

Economic informatization, environmental protection and other administrative departments must include commodity packaging in cleaner production audits and urge manufacturers to package products reasonably.

The commerce administrative department must urge commercial enterprises to strengthen incoming goods inspection and acceptance under these Provisions, and work with relevant departments to advance recycling and reuse of commodity packaging.

Landscaping and city appearance, pricing and other administrative departments must coordinate within their respective duties to support commodity packaging reduction.

The Draft Provisions also sets packaging requirements: packaging must be reasonable; while meeting normal functional needs, its material, structure and cost should match the characteristics, specifications and cost of the packaged product, so as to reduce packaging waste.

At present, national standards limiting excessive packaging cover only food and cosmetics. Some electronics, gifts and toys are also packaged well beyond necessary limits, yet there is no standard for making a determination. The Draft Provisions responds by proposing: commodities already covered by national excessive-packaging standards will receive key supervision in the municipality; for those without such national standards, the municipal quality and technical supervision department may work with relevant administrative departments and industry associations to develop guiding specifications for commodity packaging.

When setting standards, some developed countries offer useful references. Japan has detailed data rules on packaging volume and value: empty space inside a container should not exceed 20% of the container volume; packaging costs should not exceed 15% of the product's selling price; and product value must be marked on the packaging. The United States prohibits 'deceptive packaging,' treating packaging whose volume clearly exceeds the commodity by 10% and whose cost exceeds 30% of the commodity as 'commercial fraud' that harms consumers. Relevant departments should therefore refer to these standards, develop applicable standards and specifications as soon as possible, and further improve the operability of the Draft Provisions.

— This article is reposted from China Packaging Network (pack.cn). Original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-362047.html