In recent years, with the rapid development of e-commerce, online consumption has become the main force driving consumption, and new consumption models like online shopping have effectively propelled the growth of the national economy. Just look at the volume of express deliveries over the past two years: in 2015, it reached 20.6 billion items, the highest in the world, averaging over 10 items per person; in 2016, it soared to 31.3 billion items, averaging over 20 items per person; and it's projected to reach 70 billion items by 2020, averaging over 50 items per person.
However, behind its continued prosperity lies a significant environmental burden—express delivery waste. The rapidly increasing packaging for deliveries not only results in enormous resource waste but also poses severe environmental concerns. The data for the entire year of 2015 reveals: 3.1 billion woven bags, 8.268 billion plastic bags, 3.105 billion envelopes, 9.922 billion boxes, 2.977 billion internal cushions, and 16.985 billion meters of tape. The total length of tape could encircle the Earth's equator 425 times. According to statistics, 55.6% of consumers discard the packaging immediately after receiving their packages. These non-biodegradable plastic bags and tape emit nearly 30 million tons of carbon dioxide annually.
Actually, the excessive packaging primarily stems from concerns over product safety. For the express delivery industry, which handles massive and diverse quantities of packaging, the three major bottlenecks hindering the greening of packaging are the lagging standards, the difficulty in recycling and reuse, and the insufficient environmental awareness.
How to break free from the "complex束缚" and excessive packaging of courier items is a long and arduous journey.
It is imperative for China's courier industry to implement comprehensive measures for governance, curb excessive packaging, promote green packaging, and reduce resource waste and environmental pollution. This consensus is gaining more and more support.
To curb excessive packaging in express delivery, it is urgent to improve relevant regulations and standards, refine specific requirements, enhance enforcement, and regulate packaging materials, promoting recyclable options. Market behavior of packaging should be adjusted through tax levers, increasing the cost of non-degradable materials, and encouraging corporate recycling. Implement preferential policies to encourage both businesses and consumers to participate in the recycling of express delivery waste. Whether through deposit systems, returning points, or offering discounts, these are effective methods worth promoting.
When evaluating whether a product packaging is green, a key factor is the use of green packaging materials. The application of green packaging materials should take into account the characteristics of the materials, including recyclable packaging materials, reusable packaging materials, biodegradable packaging materials, edible packaging materials, and natural packaging materials, among others.
Paper packaging comes in a variety of types and is one of the primary materials for modern green packaging applications. It's easily recyclable and reusable, with a wide range of applications and a high proportion of paper materials. Additionally, paper material packaging is non-polluting and biodegradable, holding significant importance for the design and application of green packaging. The raw materials for paper and paper products are widely sourced, low in cost, highly malleable, suitable for automated processing, and the packaging shapes are resistant to deformation. They are odorless, non-toxic, clean, and hygienic, making them easy to print and affix. They possess excellent recyclability and have a high value for reuse. After disposal, they decompose quickly, benefiting soil improvement.
Recyclable packaging materials are primarily natural biodegradable materials such as bamboo, sawdust, reeds, straw, and wheat chaff. These materials decompose easily in natural conditions, do not pollute the ecological environment, and are cost-effective and renewable, making them excellent green packaging options. For instance, straw fiber packaging is a unique form of packaging found in Yunnan, China, where locals have long cultivated rice and raised poultry. Due to the elasticity and strength of straw, they weave it into mesh bags to store eggs. The eggs encased in the straw mesh appear bright and full of vitality, offering a pure and natural freshness.
Biodegradable packaging materials can decompose naturally under conditions such as light, biology, oxidation, and hydrolysis without causing environmental pollution, and are therefore widely regarded as a promising new type of green packaging material. Many products, including drug capsules, household goods, and certain foods, now use packaging made from plant fibers, starch, protein, or other natural substances. Fast-food boxes have also been widely adopted with dissolvable materials in many areas, and eco-plastics that decompose under photosynthesis or biological action are also extensively used in the production of food and drug packaging materials and agricultural films.
Glass, as a packaging material, boasts excellent barrier properties, corrosion resistance, heat resistance, and optical performance; it can be formed and processed into various shapes and sizes of packaging containers, and possesses recyclability. However, glass packaging does have its drawbacks, such as fragility, with its impact resistance not being particularly high, especially when the surface is damaged or the composition is uneven during manufacturing. If bottles break during the filling process, it not only results in the loss of containers and products but also interrupts machinery operation. More严重, the glass shards falling into products, particularly food and cosmetics, can have unimaginable consequences. The emergence of glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) has solved the problem of glass fragility, with its long-term usage costs being negligible, and GRP packaging products are increasingly seen in various applications.
As the deepening of the "Internet +" initiative, e-commerce will increasingly integrate into people's lives. The endless cycle of shopping seems unstoppable, and the volume of express packages will only continue to grow. With national-level standards set and corporate-level technological research and development, the express industry is enhancing service quality. Through joint efforts, we believe that the "complicatedly wrapped" express packages will eventually transform into eco-friendly, refreshing ones.