Over-packaging rational thinking

In recent years, whenever the festive season is approaching, the topic of “excessive packaging” of products will always become a hot topic of media attention. In particular, this year, the implementation of the national "Monthly Cake Mandatory National Standard" and the introduction of many local auxiliary regulations, and the "Circular Economy Law (Draft Consultation Draft)" listed "excessive packaging" as a clear scope for severe restrictions and penalties. It can be seen that the country is determined to “over-pack” governance.

However, with the in-depth development of this topic, the “over-packaging” controversy is not limited to moon cakes, health products and other gifts, including many daily consumer goods are also labeled with “excessive packaging”, it seems that all aspects of our lives have been “excessive Surrounded by packaging, is the situation really so serious? What kind of packaging is "moderate"? How should "over-packaging" be managed? What is "excessive packaging"?

Before China entered the market economy, the role of commodity packaging was not fully understood. It was once commented as "first-class products, second-class packaging, third-class prices," and even many products were not officially packaged. However, with the rapid economic development, people's lives have been continuously improved, and the requirements for commodities have also been increasing. This is reflected not only in the requirements for quality, but also in appearance and many other aspects. This has also prompted more and more manufacturers to begin to focus on the packaging of their own products, so that packaging can be fully used as an effective means to promote sales and increase the added value of products while protecting the functions of goods. Although the improvement of packaging has increased the cost to a certain extent, it has met the need of people to improve the quality of life, improved the competitiveness of our products, and is in line with the objective laws of the economy. The "over-packaging" mentioned so far is a manifestation of the serious imbalance between the packaging value and the value of the packaged product. It is due to the over-emphasis and blind pursuit of the promotion of product sales and the added value of packaging. For example, the contents of some health supplements are only a few tens of grams or hundreds of grams, but the gorgeous packaging and a large number of fillers give the consumers a strong misdirection, and manufacturers earn huge profits. Such packaging not only damages the interests of consumers, but also causes serious waste of resources. It also puts tremendous pressure on the environment and other aspects, affects the development of the national economy, and increases the cost of the entire society. In response to this type of situation, relevant departments of the state stipulate in the “Excessive Packaging Restrictions” clause of the Circular Economy Law (Draft Consultation Draft) that the packaging of some consumer products such as moon cakes, tea, health products, cosmetics, etc. If the total cost exceeds 20% of the retail price of the product, the manufacturer will face a fine of less than RMB 500,000.

"Excessive packaging" originated only from the enterprise?

It is undeniable that the "over-packaging" of certain commodities in China is becoming increasingly fierce, and companies are pursuing the luxury of product packaging from raw materials to form and are comparing each other. When commenting on this kind of situation, the media often pointed at the production companies and attacked the packaging companies concerned. They also considered that packaging companies were also one of the major profit-makers. Even if they did not start, they also played a role in fueling the situation. But is it really the case? Careful analysis of the entire chain of commodity circulation can reveal that the cause of “excessive packaging” is actually relatively complex and is the result of a combination of factors.

In the modern packaging concept, packaging plays a role in protecting product functions, while also being given the role of promotion, use guidance, and establishing a business brand image to guide and attract consumers to purchase behavior. Practice has proved that in the process of commodity circulation, the first sensory impression of product appearance can have a huge impact on consumer purchase trends. Therefore, some products are similar in their own form, products with similar internal quality, and production companies often pay more attention to the packaging of products. The competition among enterprises also leads to the continuous upgrading of packaging grades. At the same time, due to the particularity of certain commodities at the time of sale, such as moon cakes, the price gap between the bulk of the same product and simple packaging and luxury packaging can be as high as several to several tens of times, and the packaging cost is relatively low. The huge profits generated have prompted companies to choose "excessive packaging." Although a small part of the packaging industry has obtained certain profits and room for development in the production of “over-packaged” products, the overall profit is maintained at a normal level. Moreover, due to lack of autonomy in the actual production process, packaging companies are more subject to customer requirements, even if they want to suppress "over-packaging", it is also weak. We should also note that the final value of goods reflects the choice of consumers. When consumers purchase goods, they not only look at the price, quality, and functionality of the product, but also intentionally or unintentionally focus on the packaging of the product. For the same goods, the key factor affecting consumer choice is packaging. A well-designed packaging can meet the aesthetic needs of consumers, reflect the social class of consumers, and increase their sense of belonging to their class. If the purchased product is a gift, the packaging becomes more important. To a certain extent, "over-packaging" has its specific social and psychological basis in China. Oriental culture values ​​reciprocity more than western culture. The expensive gifts need to have a decent package to show off their nobleness and show a style of giving gifts. Therefore, luxury packaging health products are more marketable than simple health products. There are "buy" and "sell," so if you look at the basis of market operations, the phenomenon of "excessive packaging" of gifts and even the origin of spread is due to the "irrational consumption" and "unusual consumption" of some consumers. At the same time, on the issue of “excessive packaging”, the lags in government regulations in the previous period also have irresponsible responsibilities. Under the conditions of market economy, enterprises always pursue the maximization of their interests in order to survive and develop. Due to the lack of appropriate regulatory mechanisms, companies that choose to over-pack can extract high profits, which also encourages more such behavior in the society.

"Overpacking" concerns

Talking about the “over-packaging” of consumer products, attention has been paid to the high prices of gifts and luxury goods, and the fact that such products are often associated with some undesirable social phenomena. However, from a macro perspective, the purpose of governance “over packaging” is still in the long-term sustainability of China’s long-term sustainability in terms of resource extraction and economical use, comprehensive utilization of industrial waste, reuse and recycling of renewable resources, and sustainable consumption. Sex development.

On the whole, gifts and luxury goods occupy a very small proportion. The resulting waste of resources and energy is limited. For example, when referring to the problem of “overpackaging”, many media are mostly adopting “urban wastes. The weight of all kinds of packaging waste has already accounted for 1/3 of the solid wastes, and the volume has reached 1/1. As many as 2 and growing at an alarming rate of 10% per year, such as macroscopic statistics, but how much of this is due to the "over-packaging" of gifts? Extensive use of non-renewable, non-degradable materials such as plastics is the root cause of packaging waste.

The repetitive packaging of daily consumer goods, although relatively inexpensive, is essentially an “over-packaging” of goods, and the resulting waste of resources and environmental issues cannot be ignored. Moreover, due to the large quantity, the packaging problems brought about by it should arouse the attention of relevant departments, and the establishment and supplement of relevant laws and regulations are even more urgent.

Secondly, for the definition of “over-packaging”, it should be further divided in regulations to avoid “one size fits all”. If it is simply relying on a percentage figure, then the commodity with a high unit price will also be “over-packaged” on the premise of being legal, resulting in a lot of waste of resources; even the value of the enterprise’s imaginary products will continue to increase. The situation will be difficult to manage effectively. For different types and grades of products, it should be based on the actual situation, to give a clear specification, so that the laws and regulations can be implemented, so that consumers know what to do and avoid illegal companies drill laws and regulations.

At the same time, management of "excessive packaging" of gifts should not only focus on "blocking." The establishment of one or more laws and regulations is easy, but it is important to be able to solve the practical problems in the national production and guide enterprises correctly. Moreover, due to the improvement of people's living standards, the demand for high-end gifts still exists, and the requirements for high-end packaging still exist. To coordinate the relationship between the two is the key to solving this problem. For example, consideration can be given to the relaxation of restrictions on the use of recycled raw materials and degradable eco-friendly materials for the production of gifts and luxury goods, and to strengthen supervision in production and sales. This is not contrary to the original intentions of national laws and can be better. fulfill the demand of humans.

Solving "overpackaging" regulation is the key

As the relevant departments of the state pay more attention to a series of problems caused by "excessive packaging," relevant laws and regulations have been introduced, the types of goods involved are more extensive, and the details of the rules are also more clear. However, due to the lag in policies and regulations in the past, the long-term production environment and people's consumption habits are difficult to turn around quickly. Therefore, government-related functional departments should strengthen supervision of production and sales, and fundamentally stop excessive packaging.

Some products on the market today, especially various kinds of gifts, foods, alcohol, tobacco, and health products, are still relatively widespread. Especially in some high-end gift shops, there are exquisite and unique simulation wooden boxes, elegant silk fabrics inside, boxes with carved and hollowed out craftsmanship and so on. Some precious metals inlaid with precious metals and gifts with different items are also available. Keep on the counter. At the same time, there are also a lot of high-end products just because the packaging is different and the prices are still very different. According to the sales staff, these products are basically used to present relatives and friends, and have not been affected by relevant laws and regulations. Sales are still good. This shows that the relevant government departments still lack a strong regulatory means for the circulation of such commodities.

At the same time, the role of any regulation can only be fully realized when people consciously abide by it. Therefore, to curb over-packaging, it is also necessary to strengthen the guidance of consumers' correct consumption habits, change the social atmosphere, and conduct policy guidance on relevant enterprises.

Author: Zhiyuan pay

Reprinted from: China Packaging News