The use of biodegradable courier bags is costly; the new national standard will come into effect in September this year. Experts say that mandatory measures for the recycling of express packages should be developed..
On March 23, Beijing University of Technology express station, a classmate is looking for express delivery. Most of the express delivery points here are e-commerce express delivery, partially packaged with full-body tape.
More than 40 billion pieces of express delivery will produce a number of express packaging? After a lapse of 9 years, the new version of the “Express packaging supplies” national standard issued to guide the express green packaging reduction. Recently, the National Post Bureau Director of Policy and Regulation Jin Jinghua interpretation of the new national standard At the time, the new national standard emphasized the technical requirements for green packaging and packaging products. Today it was less than six months from the implementation of the new national standard. However, the reporter found that the implementation of the new national standard is still facing costs, recycling, and unsuccessful recycling. '. Experts believe that courier packaging management needs to start from the source, and should establish mandatory measures for the recycling of packaging.
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High cost of biodegradable courier bags hinders
In 2017, express delivery exceeded 40 billion, a year-on-year increase of 28%, and is still growing rapidly. Courier bags, cartons, and adhesive tapes, with the rapid increase in express delivery, rapid increase in express packaging, resulting in new 'express pollution'. In recent years, express packaging The reduction of green is endless. In February of this year, the new national standard of “Express Delivery Package” was released. The old standard is separated by 9 years. The new national standard will be formally implemented on September 1 this year.
The new national standard puts forward new requirements for express green environmental protection. For example, on the one hand, the standard sets limit values for six kinds of phthalates (also called plasticizers), solvent residues, and benzene solvent residues; , Advocate the use of biodegradable plastics to reduce white pollution.
Jin Jinghua, director of the Department of Policy and Regulation of the State Post Bureau, once stated that biodegradable plastic bags are degraded under natural conditions and under certain conditions and are degraded by microorganisms in nature. After 6 months, biodegradable plastic bags can degrade naturally and decompose into carbon dioxide. Methane, water, and the mineralized inorganic salts of water and other elements contained in it have a negligible impact on the natural environment.
The reporter found during the actual visit that the use of biodegradable plastics means increased costs, and the implementation of biodegradable courier bags is difficult. A courier bag manufacturer in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, introduced sales staff, a package of courier bags a total of 100. An average of 28 × 42cm The white courier bag sells for 0.16 yuan. The white courier bag is made of new material. Black is the old material, and the price is one third cheaper than the white courier bag.
As to whether or not to sell biodegradable plastics, he responded that we do not sell degradable products and have not sold them yet. The search found that the network price of another 'degradable courier bag' is a total of 0.9 yuan each. Compared with ordinary courier bags , The cost has increased dramatically.
According to the sales personnel mentioned above, most of the buyers who buy courier bags are Taobao merchants. The reporters saw that the accumulated sales volume on the Internet has exceeded 20,000 packets and exceeded 200,000 courier bags.
According to Shao Zhonglin, former Under-Secretary-General of China Express, the cost of environmental protection materials has increased, which will hinder the implementation of the new national standard. In addition, most of the express delivery items currently are e-commerce express shipments, and may even account for more than 90% of the express delivery as a whole. What the clerk got was already packaged express goods, and it was difficult to control whether the degradable package was used.
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Courier box recycling process significantly increases costs
In addition to promoting the use of biodegradable materials, the reporter found that the new national standard also encourages the reuse of packaging boxes. Jin Jinghua said that although express courier boxes used have signs of damage, they can be reused as long as they do not affect functionality and usage. In the future, Increase the recycling of related signs for easy consumer identification and subsequent classification, recycling and utilization.
Shao Zhonglin believes that at present, express logistics is a one-way logistics. If it becomes a cycle, it means that couriers need to recycle packaging. This will also increase the cost significantly. It has not yet been resolved. In his opinion, joint delivery may be one of the means to crack. 'All express delivery in one area is in one area. After picking up the courier, the public can return the express package directly', said Shao Zhonglin.
The reporters found that even in the joint distribution area, the operation mode of “small workshops” could hardly be changed for courier packaging recycling. It was difficult to reach a scale. At 17:30 on March 23rd, an express delivery station inside Beijing University of Technology was particularly busy. , At the peak of the express delivery period. Outside the station gate, a total of 4 bins marked 'recyclable' contain less than 10 express cartons or bags.
A student who was unpacking Liu introduced himself and bought a computer case himself. He wanted to find out if he wasn't suitable. There was just a tool here, and he simply tossed the package and tossed it here. 'You usually don't deliberately do this, Usually will be thrown into the trash '. Reporter noted that in 15 minutes, a total of 25 people took the courier to leave, only two people chose to leave the demolition of the packaging in the trash.
At 18:00, Li Ming (a pseudonym) began to search for paper boxes in the bin. He said that he only occasionally came to find several cardboard boxes. Most of the cartons were picked by the sanitation workers on campus to be sold to recycling points outside the Wuhuan Ring. Courier bags are directly mixed with other waste, 'Anyway, can not sell a few money'. Express expert Xu Yong believes that courier packaging recycling needs to be established from the source to the end of a set of systems. Express companies recovery costs are higher, even Can be recycled, follow-up how to deal with is also a problem.
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How to achieve greenization of e-commerce express materials?
From the implementation of the new version of the national standard for express packages, it seems that no effective method has yet been found. According to Xu Yong and Shao Zhonglin, courier packaging is truly green. First, it must start from the source of e-commerce and must take mandatory measures. Yong said that in some express delivery companies, 90% of courier packaging comes from e-commerce, and how e-commerce packaging should be controlled.
According to the relevant person in charge of Yunda Express, the rhyme express courier bags have all been made of biodegradable materials. However, in Shao Zhonglin's view, the express delivery volume has accounted for the vast majority of e-commerce shipments. Conservatively, if e-commerce shipments accounted for 70% In that case, the total volume has also reached 25 billion pieces. Xu Yong added that even if courier supplies biodegradable plastics, but how the materials provided by e-commerce providers are controlled. Express delivery companies cannot refuse e-commerce express delivery.
What are the difficulties in courier packaging reduction?
The national standard has also continued to exert its force in the reduction of express delivery. For example, the quantification of raw materials for courier envelopes has been reduced from 250g/m2 to 300g/m2, which is more than 20%. In addition, the plastic film has been reduced. The minimum thickness requirement for the type of courier bags was reduced from 0.06 mm to 0.03 mm in the old national standard, a reduction of 50%.
Jin Jinghua introduced that if the percentage of usage of express courier envelopes that meet the requirements of the new national standard increases by 1 percentage point, 6400 tons of paper products can be saved. The percentage of usage of express courier bags that meet the requirements of the new national standard increases by 1 percentage point. Save 4200 tons of oil.
The reporter saw at the delivery point that 'overpacking' abounds. At the express delivery point of Beijing University of Technology, hundreds of express mails were piled up on the delivery rack, and some were covered with tape. One classmate was tearing down the goods. Removed four layers of plastic film packaging. Shao Zhonglin example, it is estimated that many people have had this experience, bought a small item but received a box several times larger than it, filled with plastic film. He thinks, express packaging Governance must be controlled from the source, which is the e-commerce link.
Standards are not mandatory How to implement the new national standard?
At present, the new version of the national express delivery package is not a mandatory standard and is a recommended guiding standard. Jin Jinghua explained that on the one hand, the application of biodegradation in the postal industry is still in its infancy, and production companies need to adjust the cycle; on the other hand, the current express delivery company In the operation, generally faced with greater cost pressures, limited profit margins, and the cost of packaged goods, especially biodegradable packaging bags, is relatively high, which still requires a process.
If the standard is not mandatory, how can the courier packaging implement the new national standard and truly achieve green reduction? Jin Jinghua introduced that in the future, it will cooperate with relevant departments to promote the green certification of express packaging to guide and support e-commerce, express delivery companies and users. Courier packaging products green certified packaging products.
In addition, Jin Jinghua said that he will also supervise and inspect the quality of green courier packaging products and report it, incorporate express green packaging into the green product credit system, explore the establishment of a 'blacklist system', and promote the establishment of a joint disciplinary mechanism.