China’s decarbonisation campaign has its cross hairs trained on the country’s mountain of discarded courier packaging material as the volume of parcels delivered hits a record high while Beijing is scrambling to meet its ambitious climate goals.
The country aims to establish a standard system for green courier packaging by the end of 2025, and ban the use of toxic and harmful materials, according to a joint action plan unveiled by the central economic planner National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), State Post Bureau, and six other state authorities.
China’s express delivery industry consumes more than 9 million tons of paper and about 1.8 million tons of plastic on average each year, according to data released by the eight state departments in 2020.
China’s annual volume of delivery packages has exceeded the 100 billion pieces mark for three consecutive years since 2021, according to China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate, which added that growing use of courier services had led to mounting package waste.
Alibaba e-commerce platforms a key channel for European businesses to sell into China
Alibaba e-commerce platforms a key channel for European businesses to sell into China
“As an emerging industry, the express delivery sector has developed rapidly in the past decade, while its relevant supporting laws, regulations, and rules are still under exploration and improvement,” it said. “The pressure brought on by packaging waste on resources and the environment is closely related to people’s daily lives.”
The action plan follows China’s 12.12 shopping festival last week, in which the country’s e-commerce giants Alibaba Group Holding, Pinduoduo, and JD.com all launched major campaigns of discounted sales in a bid to enable a post-Covid economic recovery.