On the "Greenization" of Packaging Materials (I)

Abstract: The definition of green packaging and its basic connotation are discussed. The assessment method of green packaging is introduced. The necessity of greening packaging materials is emphasized. The favorable conditions for the greenization of plastic packaging materials are discussed. The current greening of plastic packaging materials is pointed out. Some problems that the work should draw attention to.


Keywords: green packaging, clean production, recycling, degradable plastics

Green packaging is a good wish of the broad masses of the people and has become one of the most frequently discussed topics in people's daily lives. However, since there is no clear definition of green packaging so far, the concept of green packaging in many people's minds is still quite vague. For example, a certain package is non-toxic to the human body and is a green package; a certain packaging environment has good adaptability and is a green package; a certain package saves resources, and is a green package... The benevolent sees the person, the wise sees the wisdom, and is indifferent. Although all the above teaching methods are reasonable, they are all one-sided. Therefore, strictly speaking, they are all wrong. If we do not have a relatively uniform and complete understanding of green packaging, it is very unfavorable to promote the green packaging work. Therefore, on the basis of understanding and synthesizing the arguments of many experts and scholars, the author has a green packaging problem in this article. Put forward some of their own views, hoping to play a role in attracting attention, causing everyone to pay more attention to the green packaging work and gradually reach a consensus on the “green packaging” issue.

First, what is green packaging?

Green packaging, a more desirable definition should be: "The packaging that is conducive to sustainable human development is the green packaging."

1, the basic content of green packaging

According to the concept of “sustainable human development,” the ideal green packaging should have the following three basic conditions in addition to the general characteristics of packaging (protecting goods, facilitating the storage and transportation of goods, and promoting the sale of goods): Safety and health, environmental protection and resource conservation.

(1) Safety and health. Safety and Hygiene This refers to the packaging materials used, which must not be toxic to humans and livestock and meet the requirements of relevant hygienic standards. Different commodities have different requirements for the safety and health performance of packaging materials, and they are of special significance for products such as foods and medicines.

(2) Environmental protection. Environmental protection refers to the adaptability of packaging to environmental protection, that is, packaging materials and their production processes must be compatible with the needs of environmental protection (requirements for packaging materials to start from the acquisition of raw materials, to the production and processing of packaging materials, use and even the disposal of waste after use. In the whole process, they have good adaptability to environmental protection and do not harm the environment.)

(3) Save resources. Saving resources mainly means saving materials and energy. Of course, from a deep level, there are still problems in saving human resources.

If safety and health are indispensable for protecting the health of people in the present age, then environmental protection and conservation of resources are even more necessary for the benefit of our time and for the benefit of our children and grandchildren. Therefore, a package has these three basic conditions. It is green. Packaging, on the other hand, cannot be called green packaging if it does not have or does not fully meet these three basic conditions.

2. Evaluation method for green packaging

Taking the three rules of safety and health, environmental protection, and resource conservation as standards, applying the "life cycle analysis" method for analysis is an objective and scientific assessment method for green packaging.

The so-called "life cycle analysis" begins with the acquisition of raw materials for packaging materials, and the entire process of packaging materials production, use, and disposal (ie, the entire "life cycle" of packaging).

Only the packaging that meets the basic requirements of safety and health, environmental protection, and resource conservation at all stages of the “life cycle” is the green packaging that we advocate; during the whole life cycle, at some stage or stages, In accordance with the requirements of green packaging, it cannot be called green packaging material. It must adopt effective measures to eliminate the problems existing in the links that do not meet the requirements of green packaging, that is, do a good job of 'greening' before it can be converted into Green packaging material.

(to be continued)