The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), now the Ministry of Environment (MOENV) announced in the early part of 2023 the Targets and Measures for Restrictions on Internet Shopping Packaging. To further guide businesses in achieving long-term packaging reduction goals, the Guidelines for Reducing Online Shopping Packaging 2.0 were established.
The Guidelines define online shopping packaging materials as packaging used during the delivery of online shopping products for transportation and product protection purposes, including:
- Packaging boxes
- Packaging bags
- Cushioning materials
- Adhesive tapes
The Guidelines apply to online retail businesses involved in online shopping packaging, including the following business models:
- B2C (Business-to-Consumer): An e-commerce business provides products directly to consumers and is responsible for activities such as marketing, customer service, and sales.
- B2B2C (Business-to-Business-to-Consumer): A platform operator provides an online marketplace where individual businesses list and sell products while managing their own sales, marketing, and customer service activities.
- C2C (Consumer-to-Consumer): A platform operator provides a marketplace that enables transactions between individual consumers.
Packaging reduction should follow a prioritized approach: source reduction first, followed by reuse, recycling, and finally energy recovery or disposal.
- Source Reduction
Minimize the amount of packaging materials used in terms of weight and volume while maintaining essential packaging functions, including:
- Product protection
- Logistics and transportation
- Consumer usage
- Legal requirements
- Reuse
Maximize the benefits of reusable packaging while minimizing environmental impacts by ensuring:
- Reusable packaging is designed to be recyclable at the end of its useful life.
- Reusable boxes and bags are designed for multiple cycles of use under expected conditions, with a defined minimum number of reuse cycles.
- Used reusable packaging is properly cleaned and sanitized to meet health and safety requirements.
3. Improving Recyclability
Enhance packaging recyclability throughout the design, manufacturing, and usage stages:
- Design stage: Ensure packaging is compatible with existing recycling technologies and improve recyclability.
- Manufacturing stage: Ensure materials and production processes do not hinder subsequent recycling operations
- Usage stage: Design packaging that can be easily separated by consumers and properly sorted through existing recycling systems, while maintaining product safety and hygiene.
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