--- --- # China continues push for greener packaging  _This content was paid for and prepared by China Daily, an official publication of the People's Republic of China. The TIME editorial and advertising departments were not involved in the creation of this content._ Students put packaging boxes away for recycling after use at a service station at the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology. LI MUYI / FOR CHINA DAILY By LI SHANGYI With express delivery ubiquitous in China, where almost 175 billion packages were delivered last year, the public and private sectors are taking steps to address the reduction of packaging waste and forge a more sustainable way forward for the rapidly growing industry. Last year, express deliveries in China reached 174.5 billion, the most for any country in the world for the 11th straight year, and a rise of 21% year-on-year. According to a report released by the State Post Bureau, in 2022 alone, approximately 9.92 billion packaging boxes and about 55.71 billion feet of tape were consumed in China’s express delivery sector. This staggering volume has raised growing concerns about the environmental impact of packaging waste and excessive material consumption. As of June 1, the State Council requires express delivery companies to promote greener, reduced and reusable express packaging, according to an updated regulation on the industry. The update stresses that eco-friendly, biodegradable and reusable materials are used in express delivery packaging, while avoiding excessive and wasteful packaging. In recent years, major express delivery companies in China and postal authorities have made efforts to reduce material use, recycle packaging materials and develop degradable materials, however, more action is still needed. Express delivery companies typically repackage goods using their own branded boxes, however, more recently, some shipments are being made using original boxes to save on excess packaging. Gao Jiaqi, who is in charge of JDL Express’ intelligent logistics park in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, said direct shipments are becoming more commonplace. “When goods arrive at our warehouses from the manufacturers, we ship them directly to consumers without any repackaging,” Gao said. JDL is the logistics branch of the e-commerce platform JD. “Couriers only need to put an express waybill on the original package for goods suitable for direct shipments, such as packed tissues and diapers, and small electronic devices in individual packages,” Gao said. In total, direct shipment helped JDL reduce over 1 billion repackages last year. ZTO Express, another major express delivery company in China, has been promoting the same practice. “Currently, all warehouses prioritize shipping goods in their original packaging from merchants,” said Xu Yonggui, head of the marketing and branding department of ZTO Cloud Warehouse Supply Technology. While direct shipment without repackaging reduces costs and waste, the product categories suitable for the shipment remain limited. “Smartphones and beauty products cannot be shipped directly in their original packaging,” said Xu. Since 2022, nearly 300 of ZTO’s warehouses nationwide have used an intelligent system to recommend the most efficient repackaging. “Suitable packaging avoids over-packaging, lowers costs and improves consumers’ shopping experience,” said Bian Yanjue, director of the customer service department of Beingmate, a corporate client of ZTO. Express delivery companies have also been exploring ways to reduce material usage in packaging. In 2023, JDL said it cut its use of cardboard boxes from between 5 to 25% by changing their design. Last year, over 860 million of these upgraded boxes were used, reducing 13,409 short tons of carbon emissions, the company said. JDL said it had also reduced plastic in its express bags by 20%. “To reduce plastic tape usage, we no longer use the traditional cross-wrapping method,” Xu said. “Instead, we now secure packages using one to three strips of tape, depending on the box size.” These more efficient taping methods have also been widely adopted across the industry. Despite more efficient material use, single-use packaging still generates a significant amount of waste. To extend the life cycle of boxes, express delivery companies and postal services have introduced reusable circulation boxes designed for multiple uses. Reusable plastic boxes are circulating in logistics stations of JDL Express, SF Express and Deppon Express for inter-station transportation, saving single-use packaging. While the amended regulation puts more emphasis on the responsibility of express companies, the actions of consumers also matter for waste reduction. Xu from ZTO noted that product returns by consumers are another significant source of packaging consumption. To address this, ZTO is piloting a specially designed cardboard box that can be reused up to three times for returned goods. Zhu Li, deputy director of the industry department at the development and research center of the State Post Bureau, said that as green packaging in the express delivery sector involves multiple stages from production, usage and recycling to disposal, coordinated efforts across the entire supply chain are essential. “The amended regulation specifies responsibilities of relevant parties in promoting green express packaging and outlines enforcement and monitoring mechanisms, providing a solid legal foundation for managing sustainability throughout the industry chain,” Zhu said. 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