Standardize the packaging, to add emboldenedness to "green logistics"

In recent years, with the explosive development of the e-commerce industry, express logistics links have been accompanied by a large number of non-degradable packaging materials such as “white waste” pollution and waste of resources. The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China (AQSIQ) and the National Standards Commission recently released a series of newly revised national standards for “Express Packing Supplies”. According to the requirements for reduction, greenization, and recyclability, the relevant aspects of the original standard were complemented and improved, including the green environmental protection. The content can be described as bright and colorful.

In order to prevent damage during transit, express delivery is often packaged before they can leave. According to Ning, the deputy director of the Inspection Center of the Institute of Post-Science and Research Planning, express delivery packaging materials mainly include express delivery orders, envelopes, cartons, identification stickers, plastic bags, bubble films, air column bags, foam plastics, and adhesive tapes. Most of these materials are not easy to decompose naturally, regardless of whether they are treated by landfill or incineration, they will cause harm to the environment.

In addition, according to the "2017 Status and Trends of Green Packaging Development in China's Express Delivery Industry" issued by the State Post Bureau, in 2016, the national express delivery consumed a total of 3.2 billion woven bags, 6.8 billion plastic bags, 3.7 billion boxes and 330 million rolls. tape. Correspondingly, however, the overall recycling rate of packaging waste in China is less than 20%, of which less than half of cartons are recycled. The recovery rate of plastic components such as fillers and tapes in courier packaging is almost zero. How to standardize express packaging and waste disposal has become a difficult problem to be solved in today's society.

It is worth noting that the new version of the national standard clearly stated for the first time that "bio-degradable plastics should be used for courier bags" and that biodegradable performance requirements should be increased accordingly. “The plastic bags we use today require 200 years of degradation under natural conditions, while the biodegradable plastic courier bags can be degraded by more than 90% using the compost method for half a year. If the temperature and humidity are appropriate, they can be fully degraded to carbon dioxide within 1 year. And water," said Ning.

"The series of national standards released this time has the largest impact on the company's biodegradable plastic packaging bags." Ning told reporters that the use of biodegradable plastic bags, the cost of the current packaging bag costs more than two times, and the current biological There is still a certain bottleneck in degrading the raw material production capacity of plastic packaging bags. “If all the express packaging bags are changed to biodegradable plastic packaging bags, the demand will far exceed the production capacity. By then, we hope to encourage new companies to guide and encourage competent companies to try first. Minimize damage to the environment."

The recovery and utilization of express refuse and the promotion of green packaging for express delivery are all complex system projects. It is also necessary to integrate collective intelligence and collaborative development. In fact, some express delivery companies have already gone one step ahead. During the "Double 11" period last year, major e-commerce companies have launched shared express boxes, recycled courier bags, or launched express carton recycling services. There are 13 cities in the country that have put into use shared express boxes and share more than 2,000 times per cycle, which saves about 10 years of trees.

The implementation of shared express boxes, in addition to curbing excessive packaging, saving trees and other resources, the more important thing is to speed up the development of green logistics and promote urban and rural environmental protection. At the same time, the new version of the national standard has also increased the relevant requirements for secondary use of express envelopes. Under the premise of meeting the standards, express containers can be reused. For different courier packaging products, a recyclable mark, a reusable mark or a plastic product mark should be printed separately to facilitate recycling.

"The active application of low-pollution, low-consumption, low-emission, high-efficiency, high-efficiency, and high-efficiency green environmental protection packaging supplies has become an inevitable requirement for promoting the healthy development of the express delivery industry." Ning said that the new national standard also strengthens the reduction. Requirements: on the one hand, reducing the quantitative requirements for express envelope paper, and the thickness requirements of plastic film express packaging bags, etc.; on the other hand, the selection of single and double corrugated materials for express containers is no longer stipulated, as long as the materials meet the requirements of resistance, Side pressure and puncture strength can be indicators.

"In 2017, the country's express delivery industry completed a total of 40.06 billion pieces, an increase of 28% year-on-year, and the corresponding use of express packaged products is still huge. Under the new development situation, the standards urgently need to be revised to better meet the needs of green express delivery." Ning said that the new version of the national standard will be implemented on September 1, 2018, and will play a positive role in regulating the production, use, and testing of express delivery packages.