China industrial organization publishes standard for container and packaging recycling 
On Dec. 30, 2022, the China Resource Recycling Association published an association standard called the Technical Specification for Pollution Control of Waste Packing Containers Recover and Disposal (T/ZGZS 0303-2022), which came into effect immediately. This standard sets out pollution control technical requirements and environmental management requirements for the handling, recycling and disposal of waste packaging and waste containers.
Scope of the standard
The standard sets out pollution control rules for the generation, collection, storage, transportation, pretreatment, recycling and disposal of waste packaging and containers that fall under hazardous waste.
The standard can also be referred to regarding the recycling and disposal of waste packaging and containers in environmental impact assessment; environmental protection facility design; the environmental protection inspection of completed facilities; pollutant discharge permit management; clean production assessment; hazardous waste license issuance; etc. in construction projects.
The standard doesn’t apply to returnable containers for medical waste or packaging and containers for nuclear waste.
Examples of requirements
General requirements
Companies that generate, collect, store, transport, pretreat, recycle or dispose of waste packaging and containers must meet national requirements for production safety, occupational health, etc. in addition to the environmental pollution control requirements.
Requirements for pollution control in waste generation
Companies generating waste packaging and containers must submit safety data sheets (SDSs) for the chemicals that were kept in the packaging and containers.
Pollution control requirements for collection, transportation and storage
Companies collecting waste packaging and containers must possess a hazardous waste license. Waste packaging and containers must be transported in accordance with the Technical Specifications for Collection, Storage, Transportation of Hazardous Waste (HJ 2025). Storage places for waste packaging and containers must be compliant with the Standard for Pollution Control on Hazardous Waste Storage (GB 18597).
Pollution control requirements for pretreatment
Before waste packaging and containers are transferred into a plant, residues in them must be chemically examined, and their hazards must be identified using this examination along with SDSs.
Pollution control requirements for recycling and disposal
The Technical Specification for Pollution Control of Plastic Waste (HJ 364) should be referred to for pollution control requirements for waste plastic recycling.
Environmental management requirements
Companies generating or recycling waste packaging and containers must follow the requirements of the pollutant discharge permit when discharging pollutants.
The association standard (in Chinese) is available at
https://www.crra.org.cn/news/tongzhi/1233.html
