One full month into the new rules: express packaging "slimming" shows initial results as the green transition accelerates

August 6, 2026

It has been one full month since China's first mandatory national standard targeting excessive express packaging, Requirements for Limiting Excessive Express Packaging, officially took effect on July 1. Recent visits to multiple regions and industry data show that the "big box for small item" phenomenon in express packaging has decreased markedly, but the abuse of tape and the "bloated" packaging of traditional goods still require further treatment, and the industry's green transformation has entered deep water.

1. Express packaging: higher standardization rate, localized problems remain

According to data previously released by the State Post Bureau, the packaging standardization rate across the industry has reached 86%. In Lanzhou and other places, express delivery companies have promoted narrow eco-friendly tape, intelligent box selection systems and the "direct dispatch in original cartons" model, cutting tape consumption per shipment by about 25%, with consumable use for some specialty shipments falling by more than 30%. However, reporters visiting Hefei, Kunming and other places found that although "nesting doll" style packaging is hard to find, over-width tape (over 45 mm) and "layer upon layer wrapping" remain common. To avoid liability for transport damage, some merchants still tend to overuse tape and cushioning materials, resulting in uneven enforcement of the new rules.

1. Traditional goods: tea and zongzi gift boxes still appear "bloated"

Compared with the express delivery side, governing excessive packaging of traditional offline goods faces greater challenges. A reporter's investigation found that tea gift boxes in Hangzhou, Kunming and other places, as well as zongzi gift boxes in the Shanghai and Anhui markets, still have excessive packaging void ratios. A Longjing tea gift box with a net content of 200 grams had a packaging void ratio of 58.3%, far exceeding the 30% national standard limit. Industry insiders point out that profit motives and consumers' "face" needs are the main causes, and that broad and difficult regulatory coverage means such problems remain "chronic and hard to cure".

1. Policies and trends: multi-party coordination to build a long-term mechanism

To thoroughly curb excessive packaging, localities are accelerating legislation and the implementation of standards. Anhui Province has issued an implementation plan for governance, setting out the goal of establishing by the end of 2027 a long-term mechanism under which green packaging standards are fully implemented; people's congress deputies have also proposed dedicated regulations covering multiple dimensions such as primary responsibility and the recycling system. Experts suggest that governing excessive packaging requires joint efforts from society as a whole: the government should strengthen supervision and raise the cost of violations, enterprises should optimize designs and apply green materials, the logistics side should improve sorting capabilities, and consumers should adopt green concepts and consciously reject excessive packaging.

As the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan advocates a green and low-carbon lifestyle, the "slimming down" of the packaging industry has extended from a single stage to the entire industrial chain, and in the future, technological innovation and improved institutions will deliver both economic and ecological benefits.

——This article is reprinted from China Packaging Network (pack.cn). Original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-379846.html