Accelerate the transformation of express delivery packaging to "green"

In recent years, from the research and development of degradable materials to the pilot projects of circular packaging, from the reduction of packaging design to the construction of intelligent recycling systems, the multi-dimensional exploration of green packaging in the express delivery industry has achieved initial results. However, deep-seated contradictions such as insufficient regulatory strength, limited promotion of green packaging, and the absence of a collaborative mechanism for responsibility entities, still hinder the industry's transformation.

The data shows that the total amount of packaging waste from express deliveries in 2023 has reached nearly 20 million tons.

The greening of express delivery packaging involves multiple links such as production, use, recycling and disposal. Experts in express delivery greenness suggest that to achieve a systematic transformation, it is urgently necessary to establish a governance mechanism where government, enterprises, social organizations and consumers work together to exert efforts, forming a virtuous cycle of "policy guidance, market drive and social participation".

Author: Zhang Yifei, Reporter of Outlook News Magazine

In a courier service station in a residential area of Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, residents are accustomed to opening the packages on the spot after receiving them and throwing away the waste packaging and fillers into the green packaging recycling bins in the station. When sending packages, they can also select suitable-sized second-hand cardboard boxes to reuse. "Not only do we not have to bring the cardboard boxes home, but sending packages can also save packaging costs," resident Ms. Hu said, praising this packaging reuse model.

This scene precisely represents the practical manifestation of China's exploration in the greenization of express delivery packaging. In 2024, the annual business volume of express deliveries in China exceeded 175 billion pieces, and the average number of express deliveries received per person exceeded 120 pieces. While generating huge economic value, the problems of resource consumption and environmental pollution caused by express delivery packaging have become increasingly prominent.

According to interviews conducted by the "Outlook" News Magazine, in recent years, the multi-dimensional exploration of green packaging in the field of recyclable materials research, pilot projects for circular packaging, reduction in packaging design, and construction of intelligent recycling systems has achieved initial success. However, deep-seated contradictions such as insufficient regulatory efforts, limited promotion of green packaging, and the absence of a collaborative mechanism for responsibility holders still hinder the industry's transformation.

Starting from June 1st, the newly revised "Interim Regulations on Express Delivery" (referred to as the "Regulations") has officially come into effect. For the first time, a special chapter on "express delivery packaging" has been added. From the institutional perspective, it has established the governance direction of "greening, reduction, and recyclability", and clearly defined the main responsibilities of each link in the industrial chain. Professor Liu Jianguo from the School of Environment at Tsinghua University believes that the revised "Regulations" have clarified the different responsibilities of each responsible party in each link of the express delivery packaging full chain, and will gradually form a green development pattern of "government guidance, enterprise responsibility, industry self-discipline, and public participation" for express delivery packaging.

With the implementation of the new regulations, in the future, under the joint efforts of all parties fulfilling their respective responsibilities, the recycling system for the development and circulation of express packaging will continue to innovate, and the industry will truly enter the "green express lane".

The proportion of products without secondary packaging is over 95%

In 2018, the State Council issued the "Regulations". Subsequently, a series of technical norms were implemented, facilitating the accelerated green transformation of China's express packaging. According to the data released by the National Post Bureau, by 2024, China had achieved a 9% proportion of recyclable packaging for same-city express deliveries, and the proportion of e-commerce parcels that did not undergo secondary packaging exceeded 95%.

Prof. Wen Zongguo from the School of Environment at Tsinghua University and others believe that the coordinated efforts of policy guidance and market mechanisms have prompted enterprises to actively adjust their business strategies, moving from source reduction to full-chain closed-loop management.

Material upgrades achieve "lighter" packaging. Material upgrades are a crucial breakthrough for making the packaging of express deliveries environmentally friendly. The industry is currently reconfiguring the packaging system at its core through the research and application of degradable and recyclable materials.

Zhongtong is currently using a biodegradable stone-plastic eco-friendly box. This box features high durability, water and moisture resistance, and recyclability. It is suitable for packaging fragile and large-sized items such as laundry detergent and fresh fruits.

Xu Yonggui, the head of the market brand department of Zhongtong Cloud Warehouse, said that the stone plastic packaging materials were initially customized for a laundry detergent brand. Now they have been promoted to a wider range of applications. Currently, more than 50 million of these stone plastic boxes have been put into use.

Another major logistics company, SF Express, has developed a "double recyclable packaging bag" made of 100% single material and containing 30% recycled plastic. This packaging bag is easy to recycle and regenerate, providing more application scenarios for discarded packaging and achieving considerable emission reduction benefits. Currently, SF Express has completed the batch replacement of approximately 47 million "double recyclable packaging bags" in Beijing.

Scientific design drives the "slimming" of packaging. Besides making efforts in materials, many enterprises are also thinking about how to reduce the size of their packaging. Through packaging improvements and model innovations, they aim to decrease the amount of materials used, allowing the packaging for deliveries to be "lighter" while achieving functional upgrades.

In terms of reduction-oriented design and development, JD has developed the X series of cartons. By optimizing the structure of conventional cartons, it ensures that the user experience remains unchanged while reducing the raw material usage of each carton by 5% to 25%. JD released a report stating that in 2024, the total annual usage of JD's X series cartons reached 860 million, resulting in a reduction of 12,164 tons of carbon emissions annually, equivalent to planting 675,000 trees.

Pattern innovation also provides new ideas for reducing packaging waste. In 2020, the "Opinions on Accelerating the Green Transformation of Express Packaging" clearly stated that "promote the direct delivery of e-commerce packages without reusing packaging materials such as cardboard boxes". That is, for e-commerce products that meet logistics transportation conditions, instead of reusing packaging materials, they will be directly shipped to consumers using the original packaging. In 2022, JD.com was the first in the industry to release the first original packaging certification standard. By 2024, through original direct delivery packaging, JD.com has helped reduce more than 1 billion re-used packages.

Zhongtong Cloud Warehouse optimizes the packaging process through intelligent technology. Xu Yonggui stated that since 2022, Zhongtong Cloud Warehouse has upgraded and optimized the packaging process. The system sets the appropriate volume ratio for packaging based on the delivery situation of the goods, and intelligently recommends suitable-sized cartons for the staff. "In addition, the warehouse has carried out 'weight reduction' processing for packaging materials such as tapes and corrugated paper boxes. As a result, Zhongtong can now reduce the usage of packaging materials by about 30% in the packaging process compared to the original packaging," Xu Yonggui said.

Channel expansion promotes packaging recycling. In the community where Ms. Gao lives in Beijing, the upgraded intelligent garbage room this year has specially set up a dedicated basket for collecting low-value recyclable items, such as paper boxes and foam boxes. "Previously, the packaging from deliveries could only be mixed in general garbage. Now, people will actively sort them out and dispose of them, and the recycling basket can be filled every day without being contaminated by other garbage," said Ms. Gao.

From "pilot projects first" to "full coverage", 16,000 residential areas in Beijing are currently exploring intelligent recycling methods. Data released by the Beijing Municipal Commission of Urban Management shows that the daily processing volume of domestic waste in the city has decreased by over 20% in the past five years, and the recycling rate has reached 42%.

Not only in Beijing, but as various regions accelerate the construction of garbage classification and resource recycling systems, more and more cities have begun to set up dedicated recycling facilities for快递包装. Through different channels， they are guiding residents to develop the habit of sorting and disposing of waste. The "Recycling Box" program implemented by Cainiao encourages users to return old cardboard boxes at Cainiao stations on the spot, which can be exchanged for eggs， coupons， or participate in environmental protection donations through the "Cainiao Ocean" carbon credit system. In 2023， Cainiao recycled and reused 24 million old cardboard boxes.

The interviewed experts stated that this "timed and designated collection + specialized recycling" model not only solves the problem of mixed recycling of courier packaging with household waste, but also provides a stable source for the subsequent recycling of the packaging, and is promoting the establishment of a complete closed loop for courier packaging from recycling to reuse.

At the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services held in Beijing, the Shunfeng company's booth in the Supply Chain and Business Services Zone of the Shougang Park showcased environmentally friendly express packaging (photographed on September 14, 2024) by Ju Huanzong / This Magazine

Different paces, poor coordination

With the vigorous development of the e-commerce economy, the annual business volume of express delivery has exceeded the 100-billion-unit mark, and the ecological pressure faced by the express delivery industry has continued to rise. According to data, the total amount of express delivery packaging waste in 2023 has reached nearly 20 million tons.

The experts interviewed believe that China's green transformation of express delivery packaging is currently in a period of large-scale promotion driven by policies. Although some phased progress has been made in areas such as packaging reduction and material recycling, multiple constraints still hinder the sustainable transformation of the industry.

The external regulatory efficiency is not high and the coverage is limited. As early as 2020, the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments issued the "Opinions on Accelerating the Green Transformation of Express Packaging", proposing to "promote the resolution of the problem of excessive packaging in a passive manner". Subsequently, two mandatory national standards, "Limits on Heavy Metals and Specific Substances in Express Packaging" (GB43352-2023) and "Requirements for Limiting Excessive Packaging in Express Delivery" (GB45186-2024), were successively released. However, the implementation situation still has a considerable gap from the policy goals, and the phenomena of excessive packaging and secondary packaging still persist despite repeated prohibitions.

On the one hand, the regulatory technical means are lagging behind. With an average daily volume of over 400 million express deliveries, the current regulatory model, which mainly relies on manual inspections, is costly, inefficient and has limited coverage. "This makes it difficult to quantify and evaluate the management goals for issues such as excessive packaging and secondary packaging, and makes it hard to sustain the regulatory governance," said Dr. Tan Yiqi from the Circular Economy Industry Research Center of the School of Environment at Tsinghua University.

On the other hand, the coverage of the regulatory targets is incomplete. Tan Yiqi believes that the current policies mainly target B2C platforms and large-scale enterprises, while C2C e-commerce has not yet been included in the management focus.

In April this year, a netizen posted a joke, saying that they had purchased an 80g facial cleanser on Taobao. The product itself was not a fragile glass item. The length of the delivery box received exceeded 40cm. It contained four differently sized paper boxes and a large sheet of bubble plastic wrap. Additionally, there was a layer of shredded paper padding.

This "kit-style packaging" is widely prevalent among small and medium-sized businesses. The team of Wen Zongguo's research found that the problem of excessive packaging on C2C e-commerce platforms is approximately twice that of other platforms, because C2C e-commerce platforms mainly rely on the self-packaging of a large number of small and scattered入驻 merchants， and the packaging on C2C platforms is more difficult to track and manage compared to B2C type e-commerce platforms. The report "2022 Double 11 E-commerce Financial Services Report" released by YIO Think Tank shows that the proportion of small and medium-sized merchants in the e-commerce industry exceeds 80%.

There is a tendency towards "opting for the easier option" in the green transformation of packaging. The greenization of express packaging mainly involves four methods: reduction, reuse, recyclability, and biodegradability. However, when journalists reviewed the social responsibility reports released by several logistics enterprises, they found that many of these enterprises promoted "using biodegradable packaging" as the main achievement of their current green transformation.

However, the cost of degradable materials remains high, making it difficult for them to be widely adopted. Du Huanzheng, the director of the Institute of Ecological Civilization and Circular Economy at Tongji University, explained to the reporter that from the perspective of raw materials, degradable plastics such as polylactic acid (PLA) cost approximately 18,000 to 22,000 yuan per ton, which is nearly twice that of traditional plastics; the price of fully biodegradable bags has reached six times that of ordinary plastic bags. Relevant data shows that the investment in green packaging will increase the single-ticket cost of express delivery companies by 0.15 to 0.3 yuan. The significant increase in packaging costs directly affects the profit margin of enterprises, and consumers who are highly sensitive to express delivery prices cannot immediately accept it.

More importantly, the recycling methods for degradable materials are fundamentally incompatible with the current recycling system. "Degradable materials can decompose into harmless substances in the natural environment, reducing environmental pollution. However, most of these materials are directly incinerated, failing to utilize their degradable advantages and environmental sustainability," said Du Huanzheng.

Wen Zongguo's team conducted a life cycle assessment (LCA) comparison between degradable plastics and traditional plastics, and found that if the disposal method is improper, the environmental impact of degradable plastics can even be greater than that of traditional plastics. In Wen Zongguo's view, at present, in remote areas with low recycling rates or in some agricultural scenarios with higher risks of environmental leakage, degradable plastics are a more suitable environmental-friendly choice.

Biodegradable materials are not the "optimal solution". Why do enterprises still regard them as the focus of their green transformation? Industry insiders say that under the dual drive of policy pressure and public expectations, enterprises often choose biodegradable materials as a "quick fix solution". "This allows enterprises to quickly achieve environmental protection KPIs and does not involve more complex systemic reforms." However, this strategy can serve as a "shortcut" to promote the green transformation of packaging in the short term, but it is difficult to fundamentally solve the problem.

The recycling loop mechanism has some shortcomings. Recycling and reusing packaging is an important way to achieve greening. From the actual operation results, most paper box packaging can be effectively collected, but the recycling and utilization rate of low-value recyclable items such as plastic packaging is still relatively low.

Wen Zongguo's team used big data order analysis to discover that Beijing generates approximately 1.3 million tons of e-commerce packaging waste each year, among which 1.5 million tons are plastic waste packaging, accounting for 11%. These discarded plastic packaging is usually mixed with other household garbage and collected by the sanitation department for unified transportation to the household waste disposal site, where it is either incinerated or buried.

Du Huanzheng believes that the two main difficulties in the recycling of low-value recyclable items such as plastic bags are as follows: Firstly, the materials are complex. The additives and tapes attached to plastic packaging bags affect the recycling performance and quality of plastic, and they need to be removed or undergo special treatment before recycling, further increasing the difficulty of recycling; Secondly, the recycling channels are not smooth. Most of the discarded express packaging bags are mixed with household garbage, and it requires a lot of time and manpower for sorting and pre-treatment, which is costly and inefficient.

Furthermore, the behavioral habits of the relevant entities have not yet been established, and the recycling cycle is difficult to be fully implemented on an individual basis. The research found that on the apps and WeChat mini-programs of various logistics enterprises, there is no interactive design provided for users to participate in packaging recycling or choose green packaging materials.

Wen Zongguo believes that logistics platforms should provide consumers with a choice of options and appropriate incentives in order to enhance consumers' environmental awareness and encourage the development of recycling habits. "This is similar to the situation in food delivery apps where consumers can choose whether to include tableware or not, and there are corresponding incentive mechanisms. Currently, logistics platforms offer consumers very little choice, and there is also very little information about green packaging dissemination. In such circumstances, it is very difficult for consumers to participate in the recycling process of courier packaging," Wen Zongguo said.

As an important link between logistics enterprises and consumers, training delivery personnel to develop recycling habits should also be a key focus of the work. Currently, enterprises such as SF Express and JD.com have begun to attempt to promote recyclable courier boxes. However, industry insiders point out that this recycling and recycling model is not yet mature. In reality, when delivering goods, delivery personnel still need to consider how to retrieve the recyclable packaging. Not only is the labor cost high, but the risk of losing the recyclable courier boxes is also significant.

The entire chain works together to accelerate the transition to "green"

The greening of express delivery packaging involves multiple links such as production, use, recycling and disposal. Experts in express delivery greenness suggest that to achieve a systematic transformation, it is urgently necessary to establish a governance mechanism where government, enterprises, social organizations and consumers work together to exert efforts, forming a virtuous cycle of "policy guidance, market drive and social participation".

Fill the regulatory gaps and enforce the primary responsibility. The newly revised "Regulations" clearly stipulate that if an enterprise engaged in express delivery fails to formulate and implement the operation norms for express packaging or the management system for packaging material recycling and reuse as required, the postal administration will order it to make corrections; if it refuses to do so, it will be fined between 5,000 yuan and 20,000 yuan.

Based on this, several experts interviewed suggested that the relevant authorities could introduce more mandatory regulations. Wen Zongguo proposed that for waste plastic packaging, more mandatory restrictions could be imposed on aspects such as packaging reduction and recyclability ratios, as well as material composition, in order to force enterprises to accelerate their green transformation.

Effective supervision requires technological breakthroughs. The team led by Wen Zongguo has developed an intelligent image recognition technology for postal packaging that can achieve an identification accuracy of over 90%. This technology can significantly address the current shortcomings of high costs, low efficiency, and limited coverage of manual inspections of postal packaging. "Our intelligent recognition technology is already capable of detecting and identifying excessive packaging and secondary packaging of different types. Moreover, the model is continuously being optimized to enhance its adaptability and accuracy in more complex and diverse scenarios," Tan Yiqi explained.