According to the official website of the National Development and Reform Commission, in order to further promote the green transformation of express packaging and further increase efforts, eight departments including the National Development and Reform Commission, the State Post Bureau, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recently issued the "In-depth Promotion of the Green Transformation of Express Packaging" The "Green Transformation Action Plan" (hereinafter referred to as the "Action Plan") proposes that express packaging will basically achieve green transformation by the end of 2025.
According to the relevant person in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission, in the past three years, the goal of making express packaging harmless has been basically achieved, some express packaging has been significantly "downsized", and the recovery and recycling of waste cartons has achieved remarkable results. However, the task of green transformation of express packaging is still arduous. There are still many shortcomings in key areas and some links, and further efforts need to be made.
The "Action Plan" requires strengthening the green governance of express packaging, focusing on key areas and prominent issues, implementing comprehensive measures in a step-by-step and phased manner, intensifying efforts to solidly promote the reduction of express packaging, accelerating the cultivation of new models of recyclable express packaging, and continuing to promote waste disposal Express packaging recycling improves the standardization, recycling, reduction, and harmlessness of express packaging, promotes the high-quality development of e-commerce and express delivery industries, and provides support for the green transformation of development methods.
The "Action Plan" proposes that by the end of 2025, the green packaging standard system for express delivery will be fully established, the ban on the use of toxic and harmful express packaging will be fully implemented, the standardized management system of the express industry will be effectively operated, and the operators of e-commerce and express delivery industries will have a significant awareness of express packaging reduction Improved, the phenomenon of excessive packaging of express delivery by large brand e-commerce companies has been significantly improved, and a group of e-commerce express delivery reduction models have been cultivated and selected in the e-commerce industry. The proportion of recyclable express packaging used for intra-city express delivery has reached 10%, and the scale of reuse of old cartons has been further expanded. Express packaging has basically achieved green transformation.
Specifically, the Action Plan deploys the following seven major actions.
The first is special guidance action on express packaging reduction. Organize e-commerce and express delivery industries to carry out training on laws, regulations and policies related to express packaging. Organize large-scale brand e-commerce companies, e-commerce platform companies that carry out self-operated business, and delivery companies to conduct timely self-examination and self-correction on express packaging problems, focusing on excessive packaging layers, excessive void ratio, large boxes for small use, and excessive wrapping tape. and other problems, take effective measures to improve management levels, and report self-examination and improvements to the industry authorities. Industry authorities have established proactive service and forward guidance mechanisms, and conducted in-depth research and guidance in key warehouses, large shipping points, e-commerce parks, express logistics parks and other places to help relevant companies discover packaging problems in the delivery process of goods in a timely manner and urge relevant companies to optimize their products. Packaging rules and standards in the delivery process should be improved to improve the matching between packaging and delivered goods. Simple packaging should be given priority to prevent excessive packaging.
Second, e-commerce platform companies take the lead. Guide e-commerce platform companies to improve express packaging reduction rules for their self-operated businesses and formulate express packaging reduction targets and tasks. Guide e-commerce platform companies to work together with large-scale brand e-commerce companies and express delivery companies on the platform to select a batch of appropriate products with high sales among key consumer goods such as food and daily necessities, and promote e-commerce express delivery with original packaging and direct procurement from the origin. , centralized order direct delivery and other models, actively apply product packaging that meets the needs of express logistics and distribution, and reduce the secondary packaging of goods in the delivery process. Urge e-commerce platform companies to strictly implement the reporting system for the use and recycling of disposable plastic products. Encourage e-commerce platform companies to use recyclable packaging for appropriate categories such as fresh food delivery in the same city. Encourage e-commerce platform companies to jointly launch initiatives with brand e-commerce companies within the platform, calling on more e-commerce companies to promote original direct shipping and promote the green transformation of express packaging in the e-commerce field. Compile and publish a collection of cases on express packaging reduction in the national e-commerce field.
The third is the green upgrade action of the express packaging supply chain. Supervise and guide commodity producers to produce goods in strict accordance with mandatory standards that limit excessive packaging of goods. Supervise and guide e-commerce companies and other product sellers not to sell overly packaged products. Support e-commerce and express delivery companies to establish a qualified supplier system for express packaging products, gradually expand the proportion of packaging products purchased and used from qualified suppliers, and promote packaging production companies to carry out packaging reduction design. The headquarters of express delivery companies should strengthen the management of the purchase and use of packaging products by branches and franchised enterprises, and establish a guidance and restraint mechanism for the purchase and use of packaging products based on packaging standardization, recycling, reduction, and harmlessness. Organize and carry out green product certification for express packaging, encourage packaging production companies to actively participate in certification, and promote an increase in the supply of green products for express packaging.
The fourth is the promotion of recyclable express packaging. We will further promote pilot projects for the large-scale application of recyclable express packaging and summarize and refine experience and results in a timely manner. Pilot enterprises are encouraged to cooperate with commercial institutions, convenience stores, property service companies, etc. to set up recyclable express packaging agreement recycling points and set up recyclable express packaging recycling facilities. Pilot enterprises are encouraged to join forces with e-commerce enterprises to establish incentive and restraint mechanisms such as point rewards, green credit, deposit systems, and commitment systems to guide individual consumers to return recyclable express packaging on their own. E-commerce platform companies are encouraged to give full play to their role and provide consumers with recyclable express packaging options on some types of order generation pages. Encourage the promotion and application of recyclable and foldable distribution packaging in scenarios such as intra-city fresh food delivery and chain store super bulk logistics. The people's governments of various cities should build express delivery co-distribution terminals and recyclable express packaging recycling facilities based on actual planning.
The fifth is express packaging recycling and disposal actions. Encourage express delivery companies to promote the recycling and reuse of express packaging by providing free reusable cartons and providing preferential delivery rates. Continue to promote the classification of domestic waste, improve the system of classified placement, collection, transportation, and processing of domestic waste, and promote the timely and standardized collection and disposal of express packaging waste. We will further promote the "integration of the two networks" of domestic waste classification outlets and renewable resource recycling outlets to further increase the recycling rate of waste paper boxes and other renewable resources.
Sixth, express packaging supervision and law enforcement actions. Strengthen the supervision and law enforcement of express packaging management, organize spot inspections of express delivery packaging, deepen "double random, one open" supervision, and strengthen rigid constraints. Incorporate the implementation of standards related to express packaging into the management of e-commerce and express delivery industries, and strengthen supervision, guidance, and interview reminders. Violations of relevant laws, regulations and mandatory standards will be investigated and punished in accordance with laws and regulations. Establish a system for exposing typical cases of violations of express packaging laws and regulations to strengthen the warning effect. Supervise and guide express delivery companies to implement management systems related to express packaging and operating standards, incorporate requirements such as standardization, recycling, reduction, and harmlessness of express packaging into collection service agreements, and strengthen training for employees. Smooth the channels for public complaints and reports, promptly investigate and deal with clues about express packaging violations, and urge relevant enterprises to make rectifications in accordance with the law. Encourage places where conditions permit to set up special complaint and reporting channels for excessive packaging of express delivery.
The seventh is the publicity campaign on the theme of green transformation of express packaging. Through newspapers, radio and television, new media and other channels, we will increase the publicity of express packaging laws, regulations, standards and policies, enhance public awareness of policies, and create a good atmosphere of public opinion. Guide industry associations to give full play to the role of industry self-discipline, and guide enterprises to strengthen their main responsibilities by issuing industry self-discipline conventions and signing self-discipline commitment letters for green transformation of express packaging. Relevant industry authorities collect typical experiences and work results of green transformation of express packaging every year, and promptly summarize the results of publicity and promotion experience. At important time nodes such as National Ecology Day, National Energy Conservation Week, National Low Carbon Day, World Earth Day, and World Environment Day, we will increase efforts to promote the concepts of standardization, recycling, reduction, and harmlessness of express packaging. Encourage e-commerce platforms to carry out promotional activities on the green transformation of express packaging based on the shopping festival, guide merchants to promote the reduction of express packaging, and encourage the public to actively participate in the recycling of used express packaging.
In terms of safeguard measures, the Action Plan proposes that all relevant departments of the State Council should perform their respective duties, work together, and increase guidance to local governments. At the same time, we will promote the revision of the "Express Delivery Market Management Measures", speed up the introduction of mandatory standards to limit excessive packaging of express delivery, and formulate and revise standards for green products in express packaging, recyclable express packaging and other key areas.
The relevant person in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission also introduced that in 2021, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress focused on the design, manufacturing and recycling of packaging materials in express delivery and other industries during the inspection of solid waste law enforcement, and required the procuratorial organs to perform procuratorial public interest litigation functions and cooperate with law enforcement inspections and jointly carry out supervision. In April 2021, the Supreme People's Procuratorate filed a case against clues about environmental pollution caused by solid waste in mail express packaging, launched procuratorial public interest litigation procedures, and promoted the construction of mechanisms through case handling to promote the green and healthy development of the industry.
"To promote the green transformation of express packaging, we must focus on giving full play to the synergistic role of procuratorial public interest litigation in supervising and promoting public interest litigation, achieving the good effect of public interest litigation from 'treating existing diseases' to 'preventing diseases before they occur', and giving full play to the reinforcement and boost of administrative law enforcement supervision and comprehensive urban management. role, and provide legal guarantee for the standardized and orderly development of emerging business formats, and promote the high-quality development of e-commerce and express delivery industries." said the person in charge.
