Over packaging and management of commodities

In the age of various commodities, the role of packaging has become increasingly prominent. Packaging not only has the basic functions of protecting commodities, facilitating storage and transportation, facilitating calculation, but also can beautify goods, guide consumption, and increase the added value of goods. However, some manufacturers violated the packaging rules of economical efficiency, safety and health, and environmental protection and energy conservation, and excessively packaged goods for the pursuit of sales promotion and high profits, which was a waste of national resources and harmed the legitimate rights and interests of consumers. It has already caused widespread social attention.

First, the packaging of goods and over-packaging

Overpacking is a relatively normal package. The concept of packaging is defined according to the national standard “Packaging General Terms”, which refers to the overall names of containers, materials, and auxiliary materials that are used to protect commodities, facilitate transportation, promote sales, and adopt certain technological methods. It consists of three levels: the first level refers to the container closest to the product; the second level refers to the material that protects the first level of packaging; and the third level refers to the information of the product, which appears on the packaging or with the packaging. Mixed materials, generally convey product name, production date, use, manufacturer, use and storage methods, brand name, brand number, batch number, quality assurance, expiration date and other information.

Excessive packaging means that the size of the packaging container is inconsistent with the contents of the product, the packaging cost does not match the content of the product, and the reserved space is too large. The packaging cost accounts for too high a proportion of the total value of the product, which exceeds the basic requirements for the sale of goods.

Second, the risk of excessive packaging of goods

Excessive packaging of goods often results in too many packaging supplies and excessive weight. The internal volume or packaging volume of the packaging is too large. The packaging materials are too high, the decoration is too luxurious, and the cost is too high. From the direct result, it is easy to arouse consumer dislike. From the indirect consequences, its harm is even greater.

The first is to waste national resources. Relevant information shows that the average annual production of shirts is 1.2 billion, and the amount of paper used in the box is 240,000 tons, which is equivalent to cutting off 1.68 million thick trees. The carton used in over-packing shirts is just a drop in the ocean. If you count the amount of paper used for packaging and the trees to be felled, this is undoubtedly an astonishing figure.

The second is pollution of the environment. Over-packaging plastic products require more than 200 years to be absorbed by the soil. These chemical wastes cause serious environmental pollution. According to statistics, the value of solid waste that can be comprehensively utilized in China and renewable resources that can be recycled and reused is not worth more than 50 billion yuan.

The third is misleading consumption and harming the legitimate rights and interests of consumers. The reason why manufacturers are pursuing excessive packaging is to pursue high profits. Many commodity packaging costs not only exceed 30% of the value of the goods, and even exceed the value of the goods themselves, giving consumers a sense of “buying and returning goods” and not knowing whether they are buying goods or buying packaging.

Third, measures to deal with excessive packaging of goods

Genuine, value for money, should be the most important criteria for manufacturers to choose when making products and when consumers purchase goods. To control over-packaging of goods, we must first proceed from saving national resources and protecting the ecological environment, and carry out the centralized rectification of the competent state departments and the active participation of consumers.
For example, excessive packaging that wastes national resources and pollutes the ecological environment should prompt manufacturers to consciously adjust their packaging behavior through taxation.

In the management and rectification of over-packaging of goods, it is best to identify a more authoritative national competent authority to ensure that the governance work is promoted and grasped.

As the victims of over-packaging of commodities, the vast majority of consumers should actively devote themselves to over-packaging activities. One is to consciously boycott over-packaged goods; the other is to closely rely on the consumer association as an organization to make complaints and reports of excessive packaging activities that damage their legitimate rights and interests, and use legal weapons to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests.

As soon as possible, special legislation on commodity packaging is also a very important aspect. Law is a powerful means of regulating various market behaviors. Passing legislation to limit excessive packaging has become the consensus of the developed countries. European governments have formulated packaging laws one after another. For example, Germany first advocated the recycling of packaging materials and developed a "recycling economy law". Denmark has taken the lead in implementing the "green tax" system. Many countries require manufacturers, importers, and retailers to accept the recycling and remanufacturing of packaging materials. Responsibility: Excessive packaged goods are illegal in South Korea, and in order to implement restrictions on the ratio and the number of layers of the goods, the Korean government must inspect the packaging of the goods, reward the streamlined packaging, and impose fines on over-packaged goods. It is necessary to mention the agenda of the relevant department.

Legislation is an important task and it cannot be accomplished overnight. Therefore, before legislation, strengthening industry self-regulation can also play a positive role in over-packaging. The packaging industry association should regulate the proportion of the volume of goods packed in the entire product, the number of layers, and the cost of the goods packaged in the entire product. Through the industry norm, it should curb the momentum of excessive packaging of goods, and vigorously promote green packaging. “Green packaging” means “reduce, reuse, recycle, and degradable”, ie packaging must be reduced, reused, recycled, and degradable. The packaging of the goods is to protect the goods and beautify the goods. On the basis of this, the volume and weight of the packaging should be as small and light as possible, and the packaging, such as bottles, can be reused several times, the packaging that cannot be reused must be able to be recycled, and if the packaging is not effective, it must be able to be degraded rather than become harmful. Rubbish.

In short, as people continue to deepen their understanding of the dangers of over-packaging, awareness of rights protection is constantly awakened. Through legal means, administrative means, and economic means, excessive packaging will surely be contained and eliminated.

Author/Zhao Yuxi