China’s packaging sector, which as of 2016 included some 300,000 companies, has developed a holistic industrial system over the past four decades, Party news portal People’s Daily reports. Although the industry takes the lead in production capacity and output value worldwide, of concern is that the sector uses a lot of resources and contributes heavily to environmental pollution.
Statistics from China's Ministry of Environmental Protection show household waste from 246 medium and large cities reached 18.7 million tons in 2016, with packing materials making up two fifths of that. This causes serious environmental problems, the news article reports.
Writing for People's Daily, Zhu Heping argues packaging problems result from traditional Chinese cultural ideas about consumption, in which excessive and intricate packaging are thought to convey prestige. When it comes to packaging design, designers tend to focus on the interests of companies and the emotional needs of consumers, rather than on environmentally friendly and sustainable practices.
Zhu suggests media outlets have a responsibility to publicize the impact of packaging waste, and authorities should better regulate the industry. Designers should consider low-carbon materials to design packages, as well as whether materials are recyclable or degradable. If the packaging industry doesn't make the cut, the government should force companies to transform and upgrade.
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