China will ban the use of non-degradable plastic packaging at postal service outlets from 2025 
On October 14, 2022, the State Post Bureau of China held the regular press conference of the fourth quarter of 2022. At the press conference, the implement progresses of “9917” project, which is aimed at promoting the green development in the postal industry, were introduced, and the implement plan of its future work was also clarified. Specifically, it was emphasized that the prevention of excessive packing and plastic pollution is positioned as one of the important tasks in the green development of postal industry, and the use of non-degradable plastic packaging bags and tapes, as well as the disposable woven bags will be banned at postal services outlets from 2025. In addition, in order to build a complete system of relevant laws, regulations and standards, it is expected that the “Interim Regulations on Express Delivery” will be revised, and compulsory national standards for the content restrictions on heavy metals and specific substances in express packaging and the prevention of excessive packaging will be formulated
“9917” project: It is the green development project which is implemented by the State Post Bureau of China in FY2022. It is aimed at to achieve a 90% purchase and usage rate of packaging materials that meet standards, a 90% implementation rate of standardized packaging operations, and 10 million recyclable delivery boxes to be installed, and 700 million cardboard boxes to be recycled and reused by the end of 2022.
The current status of green development in the postal industry
As of the end of September 2022, the rate of purchase and usage rate of packaging materials that meet standards, and the implementation rate of standardized packaging operations had both reached 90%. In addition, 9.78 million recyclable delivery boxes had been launched and 640 million cardboard boxes had been recycled and reused.
The objectives of green development in the postal industry
All the four objectives of the above-mentioned “9917” project shall be achieved by the end of 2022.
The key tasks of green development in the postal industry
- Strengthen the management of packaging materials: Ensure the ban on the usage of non-degradable plastic packaging bags and plastic tapes, as well as the usage of disposable woven bags can be achieved.by strengthening the management of excessive packaging in the postal industry and steadily implementing the national plastic pollution control tasks.
- Promote recycling: promote the large-scale application polit project of recyclable delivery boxes at postal service outlets, and promote the recycle and reuse of delivery packaging.
- Strengthen the supervision and management: strictly crack down on illegal acts related to excessive packaging, and improve the supervision and management measures of supplies and tools in the postal industry.
- Strengthen the inter-departmental cooperation: promote the inter-departmental joint management and joint supervision, and strengthen the inter-departmental cooperation.
Future plans
As the green development of delivery packaging covers all stages of life cycle from packaging design to recycle and reuse, it is necessary to build a law and standard system which covers the entire flow. In order to achieve it, it is expected that the “Interim Regulations on Express Delivery” will be amended, as well as compulsory national standards, which make restrictions on the content containing of heavy metals and specified substances in the delivery packaging and excessive packaging of delivery packaging, will be formulated.
For the original text of the above press conference, please refer to the following URL (in Simplified Chinese).
https://www.spb.gov.cn/gjyzj/c100015/c100016/202210/ee8a51436ac34dd4a416e567b7cec249.shtml
