5.Green packaging management strategies
5.1.Government level
Government should play the guiding role of the management, through the development of a series of
policies and regulations or the use of economic instruments to limit or encourage manufacturers use in
product designing and packaging processing behavior in order to promote green packaging.
y To promote the development and application of new packaging materials through the
legislation way. The development of green packaging materials use and the development of
green packaging, if there are only good wishes but not mandatory requirement for the
government and regulation, are difficult to achieve the desired effect. Currently, under
manufacturers and users are still relatively weak in the sense of environmental protection, to
pass legislation to manage the production and the use of green packaging materials is still
needs, in order to promote green packaging materials and the development of green packaging.
Green packaging regulations should include environmental standards for green packaging
materials, control quantity emissions of total administrative regulations, and environmental
purification technologies (mainly including packaging waste recycling technology) which
prevent and eliminate pollutants discharged into the environment, It should also build on the
reuse system of using recycled packaging waste.
y Establish the law of the recycling or reuse. The basic characteristics of circular economy are to
recycle waste resources. The key to recycle packaging waste is recycling and the key to
recovery package is through legislation that requiring manufacturers and distributors take
financial responsibility for recycling of packaging waste and recycling compulsory payment. In
China packaging industry has rapidly developed over 20 years; many companies already have
this tolerance, so the establishment of "the restriction law of packaging waste" has basically
met the conditions. It should be the priority.
y Adopted legislation to prohibit the use of certain packaging materials. The relevant
government agencies should adopt legislation that prohibiting the use of packaging materials
that containing lead, mercury, tin and other components and that do not reach the required
percentage of recycled.
y Establish system of storage and return. Develop a number of industry standards, providing for
daily necessities, beverages such as beer, mineral water, etc, which all use reusable packaging
materials. When consumers buy these goods, they should deliver a certain margin to the store,
and their deposit refunded by the store when they return the container. Such a system could be
further extended to other reusable packaging materials’ production and sales such as washing
and painting.
y Full use of leverage on tax. Tax authorities give duty-free, low tax benefits or charge higher
taxes to the production and use of packaging materials manufacturer based on whether all or
part of its product packaging and packaging materials make use of recyclable packaging
materials, to encourage use of recycled resources.
y Restrict excessive packaging. Excessive packaging is excess packaging on the function and the
value. It is in the form of materials through consumption of too much, taking up too much
volume, decorating with luxurious decoration to the product being packaged. Excessive
packaging meets parts of consumer’s blind psychological satisfaction, but does not take green
factors into consideration. It is not only a waste of resources but also pollution to the
environment, and contrary to the concept of green packaging. Country should make legislation
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to limit excessive packaging from the perspective of environmental protection and consumer
protection.
y Establish several of research institutions to assess packaging materials. The development of
professional research organization for packaging materials is used to assess the various
packaging standards, and the research system provides two optional recycling channels: The
first one is that suppliers recall their packaging, and the second one is to set up an private and
non-profit organization dedicated to recycling packaging. Suppliers can apply to join, and pay
certain management fees to become a member. Member companies print same recyclable
symbol on the packaging. Recycled logo printed on the packaging for recycling by the
organization.
5.2.Firm level
For enterprises, the development of green logistics is the trend. Logistics managers should assess the
situation and actively respond to shorten the gap of the green logistics operation, and make a further
green recycling of logistics processes.
y Green packaging materials. Green packaging materials are the recycled materials causing the
minimum of burden to the environment and maximum coefficient of utilization in the whole process
of the life cycle. Green packaging material is the core of green packagings, which not only reduce
and eliminate the environment pollution, alleviate the pressure on the ecological environment, but
also conserve or replace some of the expensive or lack resources in order to reuse waste resources.
Based On sustainable development strategy, environmental performance must be as an important
aspect to study when used of packaging materials. The strategy of sustainable development must
proceeded from, considering the material's three elements, performance, economy and environment
(including resources, energy, environmental protection). Using green packaging materials is the
fundamental way to ensure the sustainable development strategy angle from the material.
y The lower costs of packaging. The largest proportion of packaging cost is the packaging material
cost, so lower costs should start from reducing packaging material cost first. And because of this;
organizations need reasonable packaging materials procurement, under the premise of ensuring the
basic functions, to minimize the grade of material. Using common packing that does not have
special arrangements for the return of the use. With turnover packaging that can be used repeatedly,
such as drinks, beer bottles; Repetition utilization is that the packaging turn to another material after
the first use by a simple treatment. Using simplified packaging and reach appropriate packaging.
Packaging reduction, to reduce packaging waste from source, is world idly recognized as the
preferred means of packaging green. The formation of excessive packaging waste is also a cause
unnecessary pollution.
y Package unit large-scale and containerization. Large-scale packaging of logistics system conducive
to mechanization process in handling, removal, storage and transportation, and speed up the
operating speed of these links; It helps to reduce the unit packaging, and to save packaging materials
and packaging cost; It also helps to protect the cargo body, such as the use of container bags,
containers, pallets and other container means.
y Development of new packaging materials and packaging equipment. To develop packaging
materials of lightweight, thin, fluorine-free, high performance is an important direction of the green
packaging materials, mainly into the existing packaging materials. On the basis of guarantee the
implementation of the three big functions, we should reform excessive packaging and develop
proper packaging, as well as try to cut down the use of wrapping and packaging costs and save the
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packaging material resources, in order to reduce the produce of wastes and to develop a lightweight,
thin, fluorine-free, high performance of the new packaging materials.
y To minimize the type of material that used. In order to simplify the manufacturing process of the
packaging, and make packaging more easy on disassembly and recycling, sorting and recycling,
packaging design should try to avoid using many different types of materials and should be
designed easily separated by the structural for the complex packaging.
y Put green packaging signs in practice. Under the concept of green consumption, people not only
concerned about the quality of the goods and weather packaging is beautiful, but also care about if
the product compliance with environmental requirements and if the packaging has a green flag in
the purchase of goods. Also, if products do not have green flag, some developed countries refused
to import them, and do not give preferential price and tax. Therefore, the development of green is a
powerful symbol and one of the necessary ways tends towards the world to the enterprise. China's
export enterprises need to carry out the related comprehensive green certification to promote
environmental labeling system. First, we must actively promote IS014000 international standards.
Through the establishment, implementation of environmental management certification system to
control pollution generated from the source, saving energy, reducing pollution treatment costs, and
enterprises will be integrated benefited in the social and economic. The second is to actively
implement the system of environmental labeling products to allow more exports in carrying out
environmental standard, based on greater access to develop countries, environmental labeling, and
making exports more than "green barrier", out of the international product.
6.Conclusions
The development of green packaging is to enable packaging of lightweight, recyclable, re-use,
recycling, biodegradable materials, and to prevent the use of non-ecological materials. To develop the
green packaging, the government can adopt legislation prohibiting certain packaging materials use,
establishing of storage refund system, drawing up the recycling or reuse laws, giving a discount or