Recently, the General Office of the State Council forwarded a guideline on promoting a green revolution in express delivery packaging drawn up by 8 central government departments including the National Development and Reform Commission, the State Post Bureau, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The guideline proposes that by 2022, 85 percent of e-commerce express items should not undergo secondary packaging, and 7 million recyclable express packages should come into use; by 2025, that number should reach 10 million, with the green revolution in express delivery packaging being generally realized. 

The guideline specifies the objectives for work in the next five years and divides the five-year period into two phases. By the year 2022, laws and regulations regarding the express delivery packaging field will be further refined, and an incentive and restraint mechanism for express packaging management will take shape. Mandatory national standards for hazard-free express packaging materials will be formulated and implemented. Standardized management on e-commerce and express delivery will be rolled out. With 85 percent of e-commerce express items being sent without secondary packaging, and 7 million recyclable packages being used, the express packaging will become more standardized, greener and more recyclable. 

By 2025, a long-term mechanism for management of express package production, usage, recycling and disposal will be built. In addition, e-commerce express items will generally stop undergoing secondary packaging, and the number of recyclable packages will reach 10 million. As a result, significant progress will be made in the new business forms and models of packaging reduction and green recycling, and the green revolution in express packaging will be basically completed.

The guideline calls for the promotion of recyclable express packaging. According to the guideline, relevant companies are encouraged to innovate in technology and business models, promote large-scale usage of recyclable express packages, improve related infrastructure, and gradually reduce operating costs. Projects related to the production of green packages, the development of green express logistics and distribution system, and the construction of professional and intelligent recycling facilities, will be supported in funds, loans, and bonds. At the same time, technological support needs to be strengthened. New technologies such as intelligent packaging and separation of tape from cartons should be developed to accelerate the development and application of eco-friendly and functional packaging materials. Automated, intelligent and information-oriented facilities in packaging operation, sorting and distribution processes should be developed and adopted to improve the level of intensive management in the express delivery sector.