More Than 16.9 Billion Meters of Tape Used on Chinese Packages in 2015
快递消耗惊人,谁为绿色买单?
China used over 9.9 billion boxes and more than 3 billion woven bags for express delivery packaging in 2015. In addition, more than 16.9 billion meters of packing tape, which could encircle the equator 425 times.
By 2016, up to 30 billion packages will have been delivered in China, and that number could rise to 50 billion by 2018, according to the report issued by the State Post Bureau (SPB). The report aimed to warn against excessive packaging, and called to standardize the disposal of packing materials.
China is home to the world’s fastest growing postal market, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Meanwhile, the booming industry hardly bothers itself over environmental protection. The non-biodegradable plastic bags and tape used on packages could mean annual carbon dioxide emissions of 20 to 30 million tons.
At the same time, fewer than 20 percent of packages are properly recycled, largely because tape is hard to detach from paper boxes.
同时,不足20%的包装被正确回收,很大程度上是因为胶带难以从箱子上分离。
Chinese express delivery companies are adjusting their own policies. Express delivery giant SF Express began to use thinner tape and boxes in 2014, while several e-commerce platforms have been promoting package recycling. In 2015, recycled boxes totaled 2 million in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
A total of 32 express delivery companies have pledged to reduce their packaging materials by half, and to make 100 percent of their cushioning materials biodegradable by 2020.