Circular economy and green packaging

The group packaging industry is an important part of the national economy, but at the same time it is an industry that consumes resources and pollutes the environment. The environmental pollution caused by packaging waste has seriously affected the sustainable development of the social economy. Therefore, how to effectively control the pollution of packaging waste, integrate China's packaging industry into the circular economy, and promote green packaging in an all-round way have become a public concern.

I. The connotation of the bad economy and its basic principles

Circular economy is an abbreviation for the material closed-loop flow economy. Since the 1990s, scholars have increasingly come to a consensus that the fundamental reason for the increasing seriousness of contemporary resource and environmental issues is that since the industrialization movement, high extraction, low utilization, and high emission (so-called two-high and low- The characteristic linear economic model proposes that the future of human society should establish an economy that is characterized by the closed-loop flow of matter, that is, a circular economy, so as to achieve the win-win environment and economy required for sustainable development, that is, the resource environment will not degenerate or even be obtained. The strategic goal of promoting economic growth under the circumstances of improvement. Therefore, circular economy is a revolution in the traditional linear economy.

The circular economy theory has obvious progress compared with the earlier environmental protection economic theory (or the green economy theory). In the 1970s and 1980s, the concerns of countries around the world were how to treat pollutants after they were generated to reduce their harm, namely, the so-called end-of-government approach to environmental protection. Green economy theory mainly focused on the ecological consequences of economic activities, and the economic operating mechanism. It is always outside its field of vision.

An important contribution of the theory of circular economy is the establishment of a set of behavioral principles (called the 3R principle) based on "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle". Successful implementation of the economy is essential. Among them, the principle of reduction or dematerialization belongs to the input-side approach, which aims to reduce the quality of substances entering the production and consumption processes and systematically avoid and reduce wastes in the economic process; the principle of reuse or repeated use is a procedural method, The goal is to extend the time of products and services; the principle of recycling or recycling is an output-side approach that reduces waste by turning waste into resources again.

Second, the connotation and characteristics of green packaging

Green packaging, also known as environmentally-friendly packaging, refers to packaging that can fully exert various packaging functions, but also conducive to environmental protection, waste reduction, easy recycling and recycling, or self-degradation. Packaging products from the development, production, use, and recovery or disposal of raw materials must comply with environmental protection requirements, be harmless to the environment or less harmful, and can be reused or recycled. Green packaging includes the two aspects of environmental protection and resource regeneration. It generally has four connotations, namely: the most provincial materials, the least waste, and saving resources and energy; easy to recycle and recycle; waste combustion generates new energy and Does not produce secondary pollution; packaging materials and self-decomposition at least, do not pollute the environment. Therefore, the goal of promoting green packaging is to conserve maximum natural resources, minimize the amount of waste and minimize environmental pollution.

The connotation of green packaging is also doomed to its different characteristics from other packaging: 1. Protect the ecological environment. In the new century, green packaging should consider the balance of the entire eco-environment and choose environmentally-friendly packaging containers (materials) and packaging designs. For example, using new polymer synthesis technology, the polymer chain can be decomposed The structural unit makes this material photodegradable or biodegradable and bio-photo-degradable. 2. Save resources (energy). China is a resource-rich country and a resource-poor country, which means that the total amount of resources is large and the per capita amount is small. Therefore, the principle of energy conservation must be followed when developing green packaging. First, raw materials and process technologies that save energy are used for processing and packaging materials, and second, they are turned into new resources (energy sources) for human services. 3. Low emission of harmful substances. Low emission includes two aspects: First, waste water, waste gas, and waste that are discharged from packaging materials (containers) during production and processing are low; second, waste water and waste gas discharged from additives in packaging materials (containers) during the service life cycle. , waste should be low or zero. 4. Meets ergonomics. The new century's green packaging will be developed in line with the direction of ergonomics, that is, easy to use, reliable storage, easy interpretation, to meet the physiological and psychological needs of consumers in various groups, especially the elderly group of consumers.

Third, how to develop green packaging in the context of circular economy

China's development of circular economy, the government's responsibility is to promote legislation to support, the company's responsibility is to implement cleaner production, recycling production, the public's responsibility is to enhance awareness of saving, change the irrational idea of ​​consumption, but also give full play to the core of science and technology effect.

(I) Actively promote the development of green packaging materials

1. Further develop natural green packaging materials. Natural green packaging materials refer to packaging materials that use renewable natural resources to carry out pollution-free, less energy-consuming processing, and wastes can be efficiently recovered or rapidly decomposed without causing pollution to the environment. These raw materials have the characteristics of low environmental load, abundant resources, and cheap access. The use of bamboo, sawdust, hemp, cotton fabrics, wicker, reeds, crop stalks, rice straw, wheat straw, and other raw materials to expand the variety of packaging and improve the technical content is an important direction for packaging ecology.

2. Focus on ecological packaging materials and ecologically transform traditional packaging. From the perspective of protecting the recycling of resources and resources, we must examine the performance of design materials to meet the requirements of green packaging. The development of degradable plastics is currently a hot topic in science and technology circles in various countries. According to the different manufacturing methods, biodegradable plastics can be divided into three types: (1) microbial synthesis type, also known as bacterial plastics. There are many microorganisms that produce polyester in nature. It is an effective method to produce degradable plastics by fermenting these microorganisms to polyester under proper conditions. (2) chemical synthesis type. Most chemically synthesized macromolecular compounds are not degraded by microorganisms, but there are substances that are easily degraded by microorganisms among aliphatic polyesters and water-soluble macromolecules. Chemical synthesis of these biodegradable macromolecules can be made Biodegradable plastic. (3) Natural material utilization type. Chemically denatures natural polymer materials such as cellulose and starch, making their properties such as strength, water resistance, aging resistance, and thermal plasticity similar to ordinary plastics. This kind of plastic has low cost and good degradation performance.

(II) Promote green consumption and create a good market atmosphere for green packaging

Green consumption is the consumption behavior of the general public in the circular economy. Consumers need to establish values ​​and consumption concepts that are in harmony with the environment, and voluntarily choose lifestyles and consumption patterns that are conducive to the environment and recycling of resources, directly reduce the generation of packaging waste, promote the greenization of commodity packaging, and promote the market to circular economy. Change direction. Green consumption also has a certain market in China. According to a survey conducted by the China Social Survey Office, 72% of people believe that the development of the environmental protection industry and the development of green products are beneficial to improving the environment; 54% are willing to use green products, and 38% People said they purchased green products.

(III) Establishing Green Enterprises and Strengthening Green Management

1. Establish a green enterprise. The broad green business includes establishing green concepts, implementing green manufacturing, implementing green marketing, and establishing a green image. Enterprises should eliminate the concept of “high product prices, low resource prices, and priceless environment”. Under the conditions of market economy, enterprises should consciously change the traditional extensive production methods that consume large amounts of resources and energy and implement energy conservation, consumption reduction, and pollution reduction. Efforts should be made to increase the competitiveness of commodities in the international and domestic markets in order to win in the market competition.

The establishment of green enterprises, development and promotion of green packaging should focus on two key areas: First, to carry out green design, that is, the protection of the environment and resources, recycling of resources as the core concept of design; the second is green manufacturing, that is, cleaner production. We will actively promote and implement the "Cleaner Production Promotion Law of the People's Republic of China." Circular economy policies and regulations inform people that: Including product manufacturers and sellers shall be responsible for the entire life cycle of the product. They are obliged to recycle and dispose of the waste generated by their products, and bear the necessary expenses; packaging produced in industrial enterprises and distribution enterprises. Waste must not enter municipal waste disposal systems. This means that whoever produces these products must be responsible for recycling the packaging waste of these products; if you can't recycle packaging waste according to the stipulated indicators, you have no right to continue to organize production. This has increased the awareness of producers and sellers to reduce packaging waste, and has also changed people's perception of packaging waste, viewing it as a renewable resource that can be used.

2. Strengthen green management. The first is to strengthen the management of the "Environmental Mark" commodity certification, the second is to use legal means to force the recycling of packaging waste, and the third is to use economic means to promote the recycling of packaging waste.
(1) Management of certification. The experience of developed countries shows that the “Environmental Mark” has cultivated the environmental awareness of consumers and strengthened the rational choice of consumers for the packaging of goods and commodities in favor of the environment and resources. Consumers prefer to pay more money but also to buy good for the environment and resources. s product. In China, the awareness of environmental protection of the whole people has slowly been awakened, and the circular economy is advancing and developing. While China's “environmental signs” are taking on the responsibility of training the public in protecting the environment and resources, they are also facing the test of China’s specific national conditions. "Environmental Mark" products meet the requirements of a new generation of environmental standards during the entire production cycle, and have obtained "environmental signs" through qualification certification. Therefore, strengthening the management of "environmental sign" commodity certification is an important management work for promoting green packaging under the conditions of circular economy.

(2) The use of legal system management. To strengthen recycling and reuse, and to achieve an ecological recycling of packaging waste, there must be legal guarantees. According to statistics, the total value of renewable resource recovery in major developed countries in the world has reached 250 billion U.S. dollars a year, and grows at a rate of 12-20% per year. The recycling of renewable resources can be fully developed into a very important industry. The formulation of a series of relevant laws is absolutely necessary. Some countries stipulate in the form of legislation prohibiting the use of certain packaging materials, such as the prohibition of use: packaging materials containing components such as lead, mercury, beryllium, and cadmium; packaging containers that cannot be reused; packaging materials that do not achieve a specific recycling ratio. Some countries have formulated and implemented the Circular Economy Law, the Recycling Law, the New Waste Disposal Law, and the European Community (EC) Packaging (Bundle) Reuse Directive. The formulation and implementation of the "Packaging Law" in China is imminent. The "Cleaner Production Promotion Law of the People's Republic of China", which came into force on January 1, 2003, clarified the incentive measures. "For the use of waste to produce products and for the recovery of raw materials from wastes, taxation shall be reduced or exempted from value-added in accordance with relevant state regulations. "Taxation" also clearly states: "Enterprises that produce and sell products and packaging items that are listed in the compulsory recycling catalog must recycle the products and packaging after the products are scrapped and used." If it is not corrected, it shall be fined not more than 100,000 yuan."

(3) Management using economic instruments. The circular economy adopts the principle of "polluter pollution, who pays," and "whoever manages, who benefits", and polluters pay a huge economic price, making it necessary to implement cleaner production; so that the polluters can obtain considerable economic benefits. Encourage all sectors of the community to invest in the environmental protection industry.

From cleaner production and green packaging to green consumption, it is further promoted to a high level of circular economy. This gradual improvement and deepening not only contributes to economic development, promotes the ecological transformation of industrial systems, but also helps to promote Recycling society. Green packaging is an inevitable trend of sustainable development of the packaging industry in circular economy. The development of green packaging is a systematic project. It requires the joint efforts and cooperation of government departments, science and technology, industry, commerce and other departments to create a pollution-free or less polluting environment. Eco-environment, only in this way, the packaging industry under the circular economy can be well-off