In the 21st century advocating for green, environmental protection will become the most basic requirement for home appliances based on the market, home appliances themselves, home appliance packaging is also exceptional. On the occasion of the World Environment Day, the reporter interviewed the Vice Chairman of the China Household Electrical Appliances Association Liu Fuzhong and asked him to express his views on the environmental protection issues of home appliance packaging at home and abroad. Regarding the environmental protection of home appliance packaging, Vice Chairman Liu discussed his views from four aspects:
The use of packaging materials to reduce, lightweight development
Vice Chairman Liu believes that home appliance packaging should be developed in terms of reduction and lightening. Only in this way can we ensure the effective use of resources and environmental protection. Many countries in the world have been advocating "moderate" packaging several years ago in an effort to reduce packaging. As early as 1990, Conneiger, the United States, introduced a bill requiring the reduction of "moderate packaging" in the packaging of goods; the German government in the relevant regulations requires industrial enterprises to reduce the use of packaging materials and use environmentally friendly materials; Japan also vigorously Promote reduced packaging to save raw and auxiliary materials and reduce packaging waste. Reflected in domestic home appliance packaging, for example, many home appliance exterior packaging used five or more layers of corrugated cartons, but now it has become three layers due to the implementation of reduced packaging. This new packaging uses the inner layer. High-strength corrugated paper is used, while high-strength composite paperboard is used on both inner and outer layers. Although the amount of packaging is reduced, the quality indicators, such as strength, are not reduced. This ensures that the new packaging saves costs while also guaranteeing Environmental protection.
In the interview, Vice President Liu introduced that the current packaging of home appliances in China is mainly divided into three aspects, one is the outer packaging based on corrugated boxes, the other is the plastic inner packaging based on dust and electricity, and there is a It is a buffer package between the two. The packaging of home appliances in the world can be divided into hard packages based on cardboard boxes and flexible packages based on plastics. In terms of hard packaging, domestic packaging for home appliances is mostly implemented in accordance with the requirements of foreign customers, so there is basically no difference between domestic and foreign home appliance packaging. However, in soft packaging, foreign countries are now relatively mature. For example, many home appliance packaging in foreign countries have shifted from the original hard packaging to soft packaging and soft and hard mixed packaging. Many large-scale home appliances are packed with the upper and lower parts of the packaging with hard packaging support, and the middle is the use of high-strength transparent plastic film; In addition, many foreign recorders, VCD, DVD and other products are also used in vacuum packaging Plastic packaging, which not only greatly reduces the cost of packaging, but also promotes product sales. In addition, foreign countries also aim at protecting their edges and corners without merchandising, and use paper profiles as their new protective materials for edge protection, corner protection, top protection, and bottom protection, thereby opening up new ways for packaging reduction. This "non-container packaging" has become one of the models of green packaging in the West. Compared with the West, there are obviously small gaps in China. There are reasons for the concept of consumption and design. However, there is also a very important one. The degree of modernization in China's commercial circulation is still relatively low. Most of the operational links, savage transport and loading and unloading have occurred from time to time, seriously affecting the promotion and application of this form of packaging. He hopes that this phenomenon can be reduced and eliminated as the industry continues to develop. After joining the WTO, the Chinese home appliance industry must integrate with global standards for production and trade. Otherwise, it will be very passive and packaging Keep up with the trend of the world, respond positively, and seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, so that we can gain the initiative for our own development.
Packaging design from the source of a good first pass
The environmental protection of packaging is also reflected in the previous packaging design. Deputy Director Liu said that packaging design does not seem to go hand in hand with environmental protection. In fact, it has profound mysteries. The development of green packaging should start from the source. Therefore, when designing packaging, it is necessary to consider in advance whether the packaging can save resources, whether it can be recycled and recycled, and the volume of the packaging should be reduced as much as possible while satisfying the circulation and aesthetics of the product. The weight and quantity are optimized for its final recycling process. For example, if Chinese companies first considered environmental issues when designing and selecting foreign trade packaging, they learned that wood packaging materials will consume a large amount of forest resources, and at the same time, it is easy to breed insect pests. It will not appear that Western countries led by the United States later. The passive situation and benefits caused by restrictive measures on wood packaging materials in China are impaired. Nowadays, foreign companies have been very successful in the packaging design of small household appliances. They focus on the humanization and artistic design of product packaging, and comprehensively use psychology, marketing, culture, aesthetics and other factors to carefully package their products. The design, such as making it into a flower basket, ornaments, penguins, ducks and other shapes, not only enriches the connotation of the product, but also can make it as a home decoration, thus greatly delaying the recycling cycle, well embodies the concept of environmental protection.
The structural design of packaging is also of equal importance. In the early stages of design, foreign home appliance packaging fully considered the recycling of packaging, such as the handling of rivets and nails, the dismantling of packaging, etc., which simplifies the post-process and ensures the recovery. The smooth implementation of the work. What impress people is the "bamboo-style" home appliance packaging abroad. This type of packaging is mutually exclusive, easy to install and disassemble, and conducive to recycling. The environmental protection concept of the design is fully reflected. The structural design is also reflected in the efficiency of the use of packaging, such as the use of containers in China's exports of household appliances, which requires the full consideration of the shape and specifications of the container in the design of product packaging, in order to rationally use the decorative space through scientific design ,Reduce unnecessary redundant packaging, minimize costs, and achieve the organic unity of environmental protection and efficiency of packaging. Deputy Director Liu told reporters that he had recently received the draft of the “Management Measures for the Prevention and Control of the Production of Electronic Information Products†formulated by the Ministry of Information Industry. One of the important ones is: “Manufacturers of electronic information products should ensure that Starting from July 1, 2003, measures to reduce the production of toxic and hazardous substances will be implemented.†If this measure is introduced, it will have a legal effect on home appliance packaging and should attract the attention of related companies, and if the enterprise can design packaging in the early stage, As soon as we noticed this, the problems that follow can be easily resolved.
For packaging companies, Vice President Liu hopes that they will work hard to improve their R&D capabilities and design concepts, and pay attention to new materials and new technologies, such as lightweight flexible packaging, transparent packaging, gift packaging, humanized design, and vacuum blister, and pay attention to production. Source and terminal controls ensure that the entire process follows LCA analysis and the "3R+1D" principle.
Recycling the packaging to fight the environmental protection terminal battle
Environmental protection should also strengthen the recovery and processing of the terminal program. It is understood that the annual output of packaging waste in China is about 16 million tons, and it is still growing at a rate of about 10% each year. These wastes consume a lot of natural resources, destroy the ecological balance, and cause serious environmental pollution. Based on this, the country has put forward a plan for solid waste disposal in the direction of reduction, harmlessness, and resource recycling. In this way, the recycling of household appliances is not limited to the appliance itself, and its packaging has also become an essential link. In foreign countries, many countries have a scientific and strict system for product packaging recycling. For example, the German government passed a packaging regulation in the 1990s that aims to reduce the environmental impact of packaging, and requires industrial companies and the business community to recycle and recycle. Reuse used packaging and encourage specialized recycling companies to recycle, sort and recycle packaging waste.
However, China still has a big gap with the developed countries in terms of waste management, disposal and recycling. This situation has caused the state and industry associations to attach great importance to it. He told reporters that the National People's Congress Standing Committee's law enforcement inspection team on solid waste pollution prevention and control law has started to intervene in this matter. Mao Rubai, chairman of the National People's Congress Environment and Resources Protection Committee, stressed that Starting from the source, reducing and reusing resources as the direction and goal of solving solid waste pollution, popularizing the concept of cleaner production and recycling economy, sorting and processing garbage, and reducing the amount of garbage from the source. According to reports, the relevant state departments The relevant regulations are being introduced as soon as possible to incorporate them into the legal system. Depending on the principle of who is responsible for pollution and who will pay for it, it will clarify the obligations of manufacturers, retailers, and consumers, set up specialized disposal agencies that meet the technical standards, and establish a socialized recycling service system. Packaging as an integral part of electronic products will inevitably affect its impact. In 2003, the state will focus on promoting clean production and developing environmental protection industries, fully implement the "Cleaner Production Promotion Law," and study and formulate the "Measures for the Management of Compulsory Recycling of Products and Packaging Materials."
Another way to resolve packaging recycling is to actively seek to develop new packaging materials that can be recycled and recycled. In the development of new materials, China has made some progress. Degradable plastics, pulp molding, honeycomb paperboard, plant fibers, air-cushion cushioning materials, etc. have begun to be applied in the packaging field, but overall, it is still in its infancy. He believes that human economic activities only operate according to the benign model of “resources, products, and renewable resources†that circulate repeatedly and produce little or no waste in the production and consumption process. This can effectively solve the problem between environment and development. contradiction.
Green packaging will be the future direction of home appliance packaging
In response to the two decrees promulgated by the EU on February 13 this year, the "Electronic Waste Equipment Directive" and the "Regulations on the Prohibition of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment," Vice Chairman Liu pointed out: These two directives are for electronic and electrical products. Manufacturing raises higher environmental protection requirements, mainly to limit the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic products. He believes that the main impact is on TV, computer and other raw materials and accessories, and the impact on packaging is much smaller. However, he reminded domestic home appliance and packaging companies that they must not neglect the environmental protection requirements of packaging, and should not easily stick to six kinds of harmful substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated diphenyl ether, and polybrominated biphenyls. . In particular, he pointed out that the packaging of home appliances should not be confined to the packaging material itself. Adhesives, printing inks, paints, and other accessories should be more targeted and should be given more attention.
He disclosed that China, as the largest developing country in the world, has done a lot of work in packaging legislation in recent years. The “Solid Waste Pollution Prevention Act†and the forthcoming “Packaging Law†will regulate the relationship between packaging and environmental protection in the form of law. China Household Electrical Appliances Association is also brewing relevant documents on the safety and environmental protection of home appliances. He told reporters that the former State Economic and Trade Commission had filed this case and submitted it to the State Council for overall planning and deployment by the State. The State Economic and Trade Commission took the lead, including more than a dozen ministries and commissions such as the Ministry of Finance, the State Environmental Protection Administration, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, and the Ministry of Information Industry. The joint participation formed the “Leading Coordination Group for Establishing a Waste and Home Appliances Recycling System,†but it was temporarily postponed due to institutional reforms of the State Council. However, he said that the introduction of this work will be a general trend and many details have been made.
Vice President Liu urged domestic appliance and packaging companies to actively follow the development trend at home and abroad in line with the principle of sustainable development. It is best not to use domestic and international banned and controversial packaging materials. Secondly, companies should be adequate. Considering the packaging product life cycle analysis (LCA), the entire process of product development, production, use, recycling and waste disposal meets the requirements of environmental protection and resource conservation. He also pointed out in particular that relevant companies must be willing to invest in environmental protection in the early stages and must have a sense of urgency and responsibility. In particular, the industry's leading enterprises should take the initiative to play a role in the industry to play a role model and leading the industry to lead the healthy development.
He believes that the 21st century will be a green century, and green packaging will become the mainstream of the world's packaging. Fully advancing into the environmental protection industry may provide opportunities for the packaging industry to develop for the second time. Packaging companies should actively respond and act early to achieve an ideal return. At present, green packaging is still in its infancy in China's home appliance industry. The future of China’s home appliances will end.