Food Packaging and Circular Economy (4)

Suggestions for Food Packaging in China

Resolutely implement the principle of "sustainable development" of the Central Government;

It is a huge system project to save resources and energy and reduce pollution while developing the economy. The people of the whole country must take notes and participate in them to achieve practical results.

Although the sustainable development of the food packaging industry is only a small branch of the national economy development plan, its meaning and content are common. Therefore, it is recommended that:

1. Establish sound laws, regulations, implementation rules, and standards at all levels.

A. Systematic decrees, regulations, implementation rules, and standards at all levels should be coordinated with each other. The content is perfect and there will be no misunderstanding or solution. Reduce the "judicial interpretation" of the situation.

To this end, when formulating relevant documents, it is necessary to seek the participation of more government and private sectors, solicit opinions from all sides and brainstorm ideas.

B. Regulations must reflect the principle of fairness. But this fairness should be actual rather than superficial. For example, in determining the economic responsibilities that each company should bear, it is necessary to distinguish between the degree of environmental pollution and the degree of difficulty of governance in accordance with the degree of consumption of resources and energy in the industry. The same standard should not be adopted to save time.

c. Regulations should reflect the principle of disclosure. The cost of environmental protection for food packaging and other industries is applied to the governance of the industry in principle. It should not be "unified" or even used for other purposes.

D. The terminology used in the regulations should be dictated. It is best to use the name “environmental treatment fee” and avoid using “environmental surcharge” in the name. The two are very different from each other.

K. Implementation of regulations should be more humane. Do not "use fines instead." If a company has pollution treatment equipment and does not apply it, the daily depreciation of the fixed assets of the equipment plus the operating fee will be charged on a daily basis. The bank will directly transfer funds from the bank and impose a small amount of fines.

Once the collection amount is enough to rebuild and run the processing equipment. The relevant department will help you build another set of equipment and put it into operation. Your original equipment can be sold to the relevant units at a discount.

The costs of the supernumerary supervisors needed will be resolved from the fine.

In this way, it will not only increase supervision and expand employment opportunities, but also make the punished enterprises have nothing to say from the legal level and moral level.

At the same time, it may reduce the corruption that may be caused by “adjusting for punishment”.

F can adopt the "bank advance" method for the loss-making enterprises and, after a certain degree, it can be handled according to the "bankruptcy law."

The basic principle of the C regulation should be "whoever pollutes and who govern." The disposal of food packaging waste is first and foremost the responsibility of the food packaging industry, but the food industry also has certain responsibilities.

The recycling economy and packaging waste disposal should start from the source.

The definition of source: The unit that makes use of packaging for the first time.

For example: paper aluminum plastic composite materials, metal barrels or cans, cartons, composite plastic bags, disposable bags and other sources is the packaging production enterprises. In addition, packaging materials for PET bottles, HDPE bottles, and self-made cans are used by packaging companies (beverages, dairy products, mineral water, etc.).

Governance should be the responsibility of the source company. Distribution companies refer to companies that import packaging or packaging materials.

The responsibility of the downstream companies involved the problem of further contamination of the packaging, such as contamination caused by leftover milk or leftover beverages, and therefore should bear joint and several liability.

The methods for assuming responsibility may be (1) the source company organizes a nationwide recycling network; (2) the source company pays a certain fee and the China Packaging Federation organizes a nationwide recycling network; (3) companies that are unwilling to participate in the recycling network The state pays for environmental protection fees or sewage charges.

This approach is similar to the two-track system being implemented in Germany and the European Union. This approach embodies the principles of a small government and a large society. It conforms to the spirit and requirements of the Central Government. At the same time, the Federation can also better undertake certain specific tasks for the government and provide enterprises with more and better services.

Author: Secretary-General of China Packaging Committee Lishu Liang aseptic packaging