Potential economic and social benefits of green packaging (1)

First, the development of the packaging industry has brought about environmental protection and resource crisis

According to the investigation of relevant departments. 2001. The global market for packaging materials and containers has expanded to $434.0 billion. The increase rate is 12.5%. However, with the rapid development of the packaging industry, it has also become one of the largest polluting and resource-wasting industries. According to the statistics. Garbage in the U.S. urban waste accounted for about 35% or more. In Japan. This proportion is as high as 45%. The packaging waste in the European Community also accounts for 30%-50% of urban waste. China's packaging industry started from the early 1980s. After 20 years of development. Gradually formed a relatively complete system and has a considerable scale. but. The rapid development of the industry. It also caused many environmental problems. At present, the annual output of packaging waste in China is around 16 million tons. At the same time, it is still growing at a rate of more than 10% each year. As yet there is no more reliable statistics. However, it is estimated that it accounts for at least 15% of urban waste, and there is still a tendency to continue to rise. The resulting environmental problems are mainly manifested in many aspects such as the consumption of natural resources, the disposal of wastes, the increase of waste management pressure, and the environmental impact of waste.

The reasons for the proliferation of packaging waste: First, China's packaging industry structure and product structure is not reasonable. Packaging materials and packaging products have not reached the requirements of large-scale production. When developing new products and new production lines. Unexpected development opportunities include sorting, recycling and recycling of packaging waste. Whether it is paper making companies, plastic resin production, glass packaging companies and packaging products processing companies. Both are mostly SMEs. There is a big gap between the pattern of industrialization and the development of the country's industrialized production. This will make it impossible to avoid the rapid increase in packaging waste and the resulting environmental pollution. Second, it is limited by China's national conditions and technical limits. Most environmentally friendly packaging raw materials or auxiliary materials are difficult to develop and put into use. Such as the current international use of water-based ink, limiting the use of heavy metals in plastic additives and other new products and new technologies. In our country can not promote the use. The third is the indifferent environmental awareness of our residents. In the country there are no regulations and regulations that are compatible with foreign packaging regulations. Many overseas banned or restricted packaging materials are still widely used in China's packaging industry. The resulting environmental pollution is obvious to all. 1. A variety of discarded fast food lunch boxes and plastic bags (bottles) are thrown along the railway to woven into a packaging net. The continuous coverage of the railway transportation network in China has seriously polluted the environment of the train reachable areas. to this end. In March 1998, the Chinese government made the decision to replace the plastic lunch boxes with paper lunch boxes on the train.

Second, the connotation and characteristics of green packaging

Green packaging, which is capable of recycling, reusing or degrading, and appropriate packaging that does not pose a hazard to the human body and the environment throughout the product's life cycle.

Called green packaging. Green packaging generally has four aspects, namely: the most provincial material. The least waste. And save resources and energy; easy to recycle and reuse; waste combustion to generate new energy without secondary pollution; packaging materials and self-decomposition at least. Does not pollute the environment. Therefore, the goal of promoting green packaging. It is to preserve the maximum natural resources. Form a minimum amount of waste and minimal environmental pollution. The connotation of green packaging also destines its different characteristics from other packaging:

1, protect the ecological environment

In the new century. Green packaging should consider the balance of the entire earth's ecological environment. Choose environmentally friendly packaging containers (materials) and packaging design. For example, the use of new polymer synthesis technology. The polymer chain is attached to a decomposable structural unit. This material can be photolyzed or biodegraded and bio-photo-degraded.

2, save energy resources

Our country is rich in resources and poor in resources. That is, there are more resources and less per capita. therefore. The principle of energy conservation must be followed when developing green packaging. First, raw materials and process technologies that save energy are selected for processing and packaging materials; second, they are turned into new resources and energy for humanity to serve.

3, low emission of harmful substances

Low emissions include two aspects. First, waste water, waste gas and waste discharged from packaging materials containers during production and processing are low. The second is that the additive in the packaging container material should be low or zero during the service life. For example, lead and tin in cans. Lead and cadmium in ceramics. Lead, chromium in printed matter, lead, mercury, ethylene in plastics, formaldehyde in coatings, etc. should meet safety and hygiene standards. Ensure consumer health.

4, in line with ergonomics

The green packaging in the new century will develop in accordance with the trend of ergonomics, that is, ergonomic packaging. It is convenient to use, reasonably transportable, reliable in storage, and easy to interpret. Satisfy the psychological and physical special needs of various groups of consumers. Especially elderly consumers.

(to be continued)