Packaging or overpackaging ?

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Way back in September 2000 China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision (AQSIQ), issued a draft Ordinance which will govern the size, volume, material and cost of packaging in China. It includes stiff penalties for non-compliance; including fines, confiscation of product and even the withdrawal of business operating license resulting on closure of the business. It came into force on 1 January 2009.

Why restrict packaging volumes?
According to AQSIQ Regulations Secretary, Liu Zhaobin, quoted in a report by Stuart Hoggard in packwebasia.com, the Ordinance is aimed at building a conservation-minded society, protection of the environment and ecology, protection of consumer interest, promoting the development of a circular economy, promoting the healthy and orderly development of the packaging industry in line with international practice.

“Over-packaging not only wastes resources and pollutes the environment,” said Lu Zhaobin, “But also damages the interests of consumers.” “However, due to the lack of the necessary legal norms and mandatory national standards, over-packaging continues to be produced.”

Who will be affected?
According to Stuart Hoggard, “This law will have an immediate impact on the food, beverage and cosmetic sector, but as more Mandatory Standards are issued it will affect the entire packaging supply chain from Brand Owners to Package Designers and Packaging Producers.

Some of the conditions stipulated in the Ordinance are:
–  The free-space or void space (porosity) between the product and the outer packaging layer should not be more than 55%

–  Packaging layers, excluding the initial packaging, may not be more than three layers.

–  The cost of the product packaging must not exceed 15% of the sales price.

–  Non compliance can be punishable by a fine of up to ¥50,000 (approx. US$ 7,325).

According to the report’s author, “These new standards which will be mandatory for all packaging produced in China, are not unexpected - the State Council instructed AQSIQ to formulate restrictions on excessive packaging as part of China’s Packaging Recycling Master Plan.”

Labelling reversal
According to the Ordinance the main features and quality of the product, and the function of the package should determine the choice of appropriate packaging materials. However, all packaging should be of a single material. Multi-layer material will be permitted only if the layers can be easily separated to encourage recycling: “This is similar to Japan’s regulations. In beverage packaging it will encourage the use of shrink sleeves at the expense of the pressure sensitive (PS) label,” says Hoggard “The implications of this one clause will be tremendous; between 2003-05 China’s PS label market grew at rates of more than 35 per cent, much of that sector will be required to re-tool.”

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