Encouragement alone will not make packaging greener

A provisional regulation on express deliveries came into effect on Tuesday, which requires express delivery enterprises and customers to use biodegradable or compostable materials for packaging purposes. Beijing News comments:

The provisional regulation also encourages express delivery enterprises and customers to recycle packaging materials, as well as avoid over-packaging, so as to minimize the harm done to the environment.

Packaging materials used for express delivery packages have already done much harm to the environment and it is no longer possible to turn a blind eye to the problem. Statistics show that in 2015 alone, 16.9 billion meters of adhesive tape, 425 times the length of the equator, were used for fast deliveries in China.

However, the cooperation of all sides is needed to support the new regulation. According to the China Express Association, there are still several major challenges to be overcome. For example, there is hardly any detailed standards on what constitutes "over-packaging", while the supervision responsibilities of governmental departments is unclear.

Besides, the cost of reusable materials is much higher than the current packaging materials. As a result, if any enterprise uses them it might have to raise service prices and thus lose out in the competition. The only solution is to make it mandatory for express delivery companies and their customers to use environmentally friendly packaging materials, but the regulation only encourages them to do so, which is likely to prove ineffective.

The lack of environmental awareness among residents is part of the problem. Many residents simply throw away the packaging after receiving the delivered goods, instead of reusing them.

Therefore, it is fair to say that more detailed and mandatory measures are needed to effectively popularize reusable materials for packaging. Only when all sides involved are forced to do so will the harmful effects of packaging materials on the environment be minimized.