On September 8, 2022, the State Council released the Notice on Further Strengthening the Control of Excessive Packaging of Commodities (hereinafter referred to as the “Notice”) amid the peak sales season of moon cakes, which is a seasonally popular desserts that are often packaged in elaborate containers. Combating excessive packaging is in line with the Chinese government’s long-lasting emphasis on resource-saving as part of its green development strategy.

The Notice specifies the responsibilities of different actors across the entire chain of commerce, including producers, merchants, logistics, and recyclers. Companies are urged to reduce the size and weight of packaging for goods and parcels, as well as to avoid the procurement and selling of excessively packaged commodities.

The Notice calls for the enhanced enforcement of laws and regulations against excessive packaging, particularly those of moon cake, zongzi (rice dumplings for the dragon-boat festival), tea, health food, and cosmetics. As part of this enhanced enforcement, e-commerce channels will be more strictly supervised, as goods sold online are frequently heavily packaged multiple times.

According to the Law on Prevention and Control of Solid Waste Pollution, producers and merchants can be fined up to RMB 100,000 if they refuse to correct their misdoing after a first warning. The Notice engaged the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Justice to improve coordination between different environmental laws to increase companies’ accountability.

China’s regulatory framework needs to be further strengthened to detect and prevent excessive packaging more effectively. A first step was made in August 2021 when the State Administration of Market Regulation revised the 12-years-old Requirements for Restricting Excessive Packaging – Foods and Cosmetics (GB 23350-2021), by giving a more detailed definition and classification of overpackaging in 41 categories. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs is currently working on equivalent standards for edible agricultural products.

Chinese consumers have long criticized excessive packaging for artificially increasing the cost of goods. The latest Notice is anticipated to be popular among the public, although not necessarily for its environmental benefits. Nevertheless, the fight against overpackaging can become a useful case for raising public awareness of the harmful effects of solid waste and the advantages of a circular economy.

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