China's Local Regulation on Commodity Packaging Reduction Officially Takes Effect Feb. 1

Starting tomorrow (February 1), the 'Several Provisions of Shanghai Municipality on the Reduction of Commodity Packaging' will be formally implemented. As a local regulation applying nationwide, these Provisions will further regulate commodity packaging on the basis of the national standards.

Further refinement on top of the national standard

So-called 'excessive packaging' refers to packaging that exceeds the appropriate functional requirements of packaging, with its packaging void ratio, number of packaging layers and packaging cost exceeding the necessary degree. In 2009, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine issued the national standard GB23350-2009 'Requirements for Limiting Excessive Packaging of Commodities - Food and Cosmetics', which took effect on April 1 of the following year. This national standard imposed strict limits on the number of packaging layers, void ratio and cost of all food and cosmetics commodities, stipulating that the packaging of beverages, alcoholic drinks, pastries and cosmetics shall not exceed 3 layers;

As for the 'packaging void ratio' indicator, the packaging voids of health foods and cosmetics must not exceed 50% of the commodity volume; in addition, the total cost of all packaging other than the primary packaging shall not exceed 20% of the commodity's selling price. According to the city, the Provisions implemented in Shanghai this time are a refinement of the existing national standard, setting binding rules for commodities that already have excessive-packaging limits and using the JJF1070 dosing technical specifications as the inspection method for further refinement. For commodities that do not fall into the major categories of food or cosmetics and for which the state has not yet issued excessive-packaging limits, guiding specifications for commodity packaging will be formulated together with the relevant administrative departments and industry associations.

Gift-box packaging is the 'disaster zone'

With national standards constraining it in front and Shanghai's local regulations further refining it behind, what is the actual situation of excessive commodity packaging on the market? A reporter's investigation found that suspected excessive packaging is still fairly serious in some areas.

At the RT-Mart Zhabei store, shopping was brisk before the Spring Festival and many consumers were choosing gift boxes for visiting relatives and friends; tea gift boxes, beautifully packaged, were on promotion in prominent places on the shelves. The reporter casually opened a package named 'Yijiangnan Gift Box': inside the huge box was a golden-yellow silk lining, with two squarely shaped boxes of premium Longjing tea in the middle, and only inside those boxes was the tea packed in sealed bags. A rough visual estimate shows that the void ratio is clearly greater than 55%, suggesting excessive packaging. According to the sales staff, buying this gift box comes with a free handbag, which by that reckoning also makes the number of packaging layers suspect as excessive packaging.

At the liquor counter of the Century Lianhua supermarket in Bailian Zhonghuan Shopping Plaza, liquors such as ten-year-aged Moutai Zhenpin, Guolong liquor and dry red wine were all packaged in very exquisite wooden boxes, and by visual estimate also appeared to have excessive voids. The reporter learned from other channels that wooden boxes can be sold separately, priced at 20 yuan each, while some dry red wines retail for only 50 to 100 yuan. If the rule that 'packaging cost shall not exceed 20% of the commodity's selling price' is applied, they too are suspected of excessive packaging.

From visits to large shopping malls and supermarkets, the reporter found that in the fields of sanitary products, personal care products, cosmetics and some everyday foods there is basically no problem of excessive packaging, but in fields such as tea, health products, alcoholic drinks and chocolate candies, suspected excessive packaging is fairly serious: for example, some liquors use wooden box packaging or come with free wine glasses, creating a packaging void ratio; some chocolate and candy gift boxes have a plastic box inside the tin, but the quantity of chocolates is extremely limited, and so on. Most products suspected of excessive packaging are gift-box products.

Supermarkets and manufacturers begin to clean up

The reporter also learned that, because the Provisions bring the sales stage under supervision for the first time, many supermarkets have already begun to clean up and remove from shelves products with excessive packaging. An internal notice at Nonggongshang Supermarket reminds each store to pay attention to the commodity void ratio and number of packaging layers, for example, 'grain packaging shall not exceed 2 layers and the void ratio shall not exceed 10%'.

At the production stage, many enterprises and industries have also begun to clean up. Wang Mugen, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai Tea Industry Association, revealed that the association is stepping up notification to merchants to watch out for excessive packaging, and may launch a unified 'say no to excessive packaging' campaign after some time.

However, a person in charge of the candy company Hsu Fu Chi admitted frankly that chocolate is generally used as a 'gift', and appropriately refined packaging can better meet market consumer demand - this is an industry practice - so the boundary and measure of excessive packaging still need to be further clarified. It is reported that Hsu Fu Chi has already abandoned the practice of gift-box packaging, and this person in charge strongly approves of reducing packaging: 'In the long run, the more mature an enterprise's operations, the less it needs excessive packaging. This is an important part of an enterprise sharing value with society and committing to society's sustainable development.'

—This article is reprinted from China Packaging Network (pack.cn); original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-362003.html