People's Congress Deputies Discuss Commodity Packaging Reduction Legislation

[ppzhan abstract] Yesterday, the Beijing Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee held a meeting of deputies, at which people's congress deputies from the business community and from residential communities put forward opinions and suggestions on the legislation on reducing commodity packaging that is soon to be submitted for deliberation. Hu Yanzhao, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee, attended the meeting. At the meeting of deputies held yesterday by the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee, deputies reported that during the just-past Dragon Boat Festival holiday, simply packaged zongzi sold in greater volume. The Several Provisions of Shanghai Municipality on the Reduction of Commodity Packaging (Draft for Public Comment) will be submitted to the Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee for deliberation in July.

Yesterday, the Beijing Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee held a meeting of deputies, at which people's congress deputies from the business community and from residential communities put forward opinions and suggestions on the legislation on reducing commodity packaging that is soon to be submitted for deliberation.

The deputies held that excessive packaging is spreading unchecked — even rice and vegetables have not escaped it — and that the spectacle of producing, discarding and polluting all at the same time is shocking. This not only seriously wastes natural and social resources, but also encourages unhealthy social trends such as flaunting wealth, and creates the "soil" for corruption. It is therefore highly necessary for the Municipal People's Congress to legislate on the matter.

Hu Yanzhao, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee, attended the meeting.

At the meeting of deputies held yesterday by the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee, deputies reported that during the just-past Dragon Boat Festival holiday, simply packaged zongzi sold in greater volume. The Several Provisions of Shanghai Municipality on the Reduction of Commodity Packaging (Draft for Public Comment) will be submitted to the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee for deliberation in July. In this regard, the deputies called for greater attention to be paid to the implementation and operational aspects when setting out the provisions.

Yang Dexin, a deputy to the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress and chairman of Nonggongshang Supermarket (Group) Co., Ltd., said: "Judging from the sales of the various zongzi on offer this Dragon Boat Festival, what sold well were freshly made, simply packaged zongzi, with peak daily sales reaching 5,000 to 6,000." As for the more luxuriously packaged products, their sales fell clearly short of the simply packaged ones.

Jiang Junfen, a deputy to the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress from Zhoujiadu Subdistrict in Pudong New Area, also said that residents are indeed put off by excessively packaged products and prefer simple packaging that they can see and touch.

In the view of Wu Hesheng, a deputy to the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress and chairman of Shanghai Huaihai Commercial (Group) Co., Ltd., putting the law into practice may prove quite difficult. He said that when it comes to the very concept of "excessive packaging," merchants, consumers and government functional departments may all understand and define it differently.

Deputy Liu Xingzong, for his part, suggested that vigorous public outreach be used to promote the right consumption concepts, while supervision over the distribution stage should be strengthened and enforcement stepped up.

— This article is reposted from China Packaging Network (pack.cn). Original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-362100.html