Environmental Green Packaging - The Future of Packaging Industry (II)

The status quo of the application of green packaging in China As the export of goods must adopt the green packaging and the rise of domestic environmental protection undertakings, with the support of the government, the rapid development of China's green packaging industry. The use of environmentally-friendly packaging materials is increasing, market share is gradually increasing, technology content is also increasing, some products have reached the international advanced level, have a better market in the international market, the market of the green packaging industry is constantly expand. However, compared with developed countries, China's green packaging industry still lags far behind, and development is not fast enough. Specifically in the following aspects.
1. The concept of green packaging is ambiguous <br> In many people's minds, green packaging is often regarded as greening of packaging products, and it is erroneously seen that packaging products made from easily degradable materials are considered as green packaging, irrespective of packaging products. Does the production cause environmental pollution and waste of resources, and does not ask whether packaging products can be reused after use. If the paper packaging is regarded as a green packaging, the plastic packaging is placed on the opposite side of the green packaging, and even the polyethylene is considered to be toxic, and paper-based plastic molding should be fully implemented. In fact, the impact of packaging on the environment should be considered from the entire life cycle of the product. For example, improper recycling of paper packaging does not meet the requirements of green packaging, and plastic packaging should be promoted if it is reduced, recycled, and harmless. Plastics have the advantage that other packaging materials cannot be replaced, and a total ban on plastics will cause greater pollution. China's forest resources are limited, and the pollution caused by papermaking is also difficult to control. Therefore, it is neither realistic nor environmentally friendly to fully implement paper-based modeling.
2. Unbalanced Development <br> First, the time for different companies to implement green packaging is not synchronized. The earliest implementation of green packaging was export-oriented enterprises. Such enterprises were affected by the international market and learned about green packaging earlier. They quickly adjusted their packaging strategy; while those with a domestic market focused on green packaging. The response was slow, and it only started to get involved in green packaging in recent years. Secondly, the development between regions is uneven, and the green packaging in the economically developed regions has developed rapidly. The green packaging in the central and western regions where the economy is relatively backward has not received sufficient attention and publicity. The development is slow. In the treatment of packaging waste, local policies and laws are also inconsistent, resulting in the transfer of packaging pollution to economically underdeveloped areas.
3. Insufficient investment in capital, technology, talent, etc. Due to the adoption of advanced technology and limited by the scale of production of companies, green packaging products are often more expensive than traditional packaging products, and therefore do not have price advantages when competing with traditional packaging products. . This directly led to the disadvantage of green packaging products in the market competition, which seriously affected the confidence of enterprises in developing green packaging. Green packaging is supported by high technology. Due to the lack of investment in and research on green packaging technology, China’s overall technology level is still lagging although it has an international leading level in some products. In addition, China’s shortage of talents in green packaging, especially the lack of management talents, has severely restricted the development of green packaging.
4. The lack of green consumption <br> Whether the packaging industry can embark on the sustainable development of the green packaging road depends on the regulation and guidance of the market, and China's green consumption started relatively late, far from becoming the people's consumption habits. In the country's major cities, small and medium-sized cities and rural market towns are still "white" hard to ban, green "hard to make". At present, the annual output of domestic green tableware is about 6 billion, of which 80% of the products are exported, mainly to Japan, the United States, Singapore, etc. Another 20% of the domestic sales for the iron and shipping systems, in the fast food industry is difficult to promote. Due to the shortage of export supply, and the serious shortage of domestic market demand (consumption), many green packaging companies only care about the foreign market and ignore the domestic market.

Strategies for Developing Green Packaging in China <br> Developing green packaging is not only to reduce "white pollution" but, in essence, it is a major event to improve human life, maintain human health and promote ecological balance. The government and the broad masses of the people should join hands to promote the development of green packaging from the following aspects.
1. The state should provide support from policies and funds <br> The green packaging industry as an emerging industry has just emerged in China. Most products have not yet become large-scale production, and they cannot meet the green consumer demands of consumers in terms of quantity and quality. Form a brand effect. At present, relevant government departments should seize the opportunity, adjust the economic structure, actively promote mergers and reorganizations of enterprises, promote the rational allocation of resources, achieve large-scale production of green packaging, increase the development of green packaging in terms of structure and total volume, and strive to meet the market. Increasing demand for green consumption. The government must increase incentives for green packaging manufacturers to provide policy tilts in project approval, market access, taxation, and credit. Such as the reduction of taxes on green packaging products; the establishment of special funds to increase financial input to enterprises, appropriate scientific research and development costs for industry-based key scientific research and development projects; increase the credit scale of enterprises, give discount interest subsidies; for raw materials and finished products Import and export, giving preferential tariffs and quotas; support for companies listed on the stock market, to create conditions for their social investment; actively promote product green signs, establish a packaging product recycling management system and waste disposal system.
2. Actively develop and promote green packaging materials <br> Accelerate technological innovation, develop new packaging materials, new processes and new products, which is the key to the development of green packaging. From the beginning of the packaging design selection, we should pay attention to the reduction of packaging and try to avoid excessive packaging; pay attention to the recycling of packaging, pay attention to the use of packaging materials that can be used multiple times or can be recycled; pay attention to the harmlessness of packaging, try to use harmless Materials, do not use packaging materials that are likely to cause environmental pollution; actively promote the use of alternative materials such as paper and degradable plastics; invest funds in the development of plant packaging materials; use as much as possible a single packaging material and avoid the use of adhesive methods that lead to recycling and separation. difficult.
3. Advocating green consumption and creating a good market atmosphere for green packaging <br> Consumers who are directly producing packaging waste need to establish values ​​and consumption concepts that are in harmony with the environment and voluntarily choose lifestyles and consumption patterns that are conducive to environmental protection. Promote green packaging of goods. When people buy goods, they must not only pay attention to whether the quality of the goods is qualified, whether the packaging is exquisite, but also whether the goods meet the requirements of environmental protection and whether there is a green logo on the packaging. Only in this way can manufacturers be encouraged to adopt green packaging and green marketing to cater to consumer psychology and promote product sales. At the same time, through the role of the media, we can increase the education of green consumption and guide the public to actively participate in the green consumption movement.
4. Strengthen recycling and reuse, and achieve ecological recycling of packaging waste through various means such as legislation and economy. German law clearly stipulates that since July 1, 1995, glass, tinplate, aluminum, cardboard, and plastics have been packaged. The material recovery rate must reach 80%. The United Kingdom provides for the recycling of 60% of industrial packaging and 35% of household packaging at the beginning of the 21st century. While China is formulating corresponding laws and regulations as soon as possible to enforce the recycling of packaging waste, it can also implement taxation policies for garbage in large and medium-sized cities, charging according to the quantity of garbage that is dumped, and the public can put packaging waste into the recycling bin for free. At the same time packaging waste that affects the environment should be subject to packaging tax.
Experts pointed out that in the next 10 years, "green products" will dominate the world market. Actively developing green packaging is an inevitable choice for China's packaging industry to face the WTO in the new century. We look forward to the true color of green in the new century. Green packaging has truly become the future of the packaging industry.