Thinking of the realization of green packaging

2. Focus on the choice of packaging materials

In the selection of packaging materials, traditional packaging design mainly focuses on the nature of the research materials, the use behavior and the degree of environmental impact, and requires the packaging made of the selected materials to meet the protection, advertising, and descriptive nature of the products. May reduce packaging technology costs. The lack of adequate attention to packaging materials and the impact on the environment. Based on the sustainable development strategy of packaging design, in the selection of packaging materials must be its environmental performance as an important aspect to study. Must proceed from the strategy of sustainable development, comprehensive consideration of the three major elements of the material's performance, economy and environment (including resources, energy, environmental protection). In other words, the balance between the environmental coordination of materials and the performance and cost of materials must be fully considered.

(1) Use green packaging materials

This is the fundamental way to ensure a sustainable development strategy from a material perspective. Because green materials have environmental compatibility, the use of green packaging materials not only can effectively reduce the harmful effects of packaging waste on the environment, but also improve the utilization efficiency of raw materials and energy in the whole process of packaging production, use and recycling.

Paper is currently the most widely used green packaging material. Paper's green characteristics are good, raw materials are widely sourced, and it is easily corrupted in the natural environment. It can be used to recycle recycled paper and can also be used as a plant fertilizer. It is the earliest application of green packaging materials. Now, the recycling technology of paper has become more mature. Waste paper and waste paper bins can be remanufactured into secondary products of different qualities and applications according to their color, composition, etc., and the recycling rate is high. A typical variety currently widely used for packaging is pulp molded honeycomb paperboard products. In particular, molded pulp products are used to replace refractory plastics and are widely used in tableware, poultry egg trays, fruit trays, industrial trays, food and semi-finished packaging, and medical device packaging.

Biodegradable plastics are considered to be the most promising green packaging materials. Biodegradable plastic is a new type of plastic that can be degraded and disappeared in the natural environment after being discarded, and does not pollute the environment. As traditional plastic packaging materials are discarded, they are not easily degraded under natural conditions and are difficult to absorb for the natural world, causing great pollution to the environment. Therefore, both domestic and foreign countries attach great importance to the study of plastics that can be naturally degraded under photosynthesis or biological action, and used for the production of packaging materials and agricultural films. After being discarded, this new type of plastic can be embrittled and degraded into fragments through photosynthesis in a certain period of time. After being eroded by nature, it enters the soil and is digested by microorganisms (biochemical action), and no longer causes environmental pollution.

(2) Minimize the types of materials used

In order to simplify the manufacturing process of packaging and facilitate the disassembly, recycling, classification and reuse of packaging, packaging design should try to avoid the use of a variety of different materials. For complex packaging, it is advisable to adopt a structure design that is easy to disassemble and separate. When designing metal containers, the welded structure of different metals should be avoided in the structure. The explosion box should be designed as a splitable and independent multiple subdivided box, and each independent bin should only use one kind of subdivided box. material.

(3) Choose materials that are easily recycled and recycled

The packaging waste can be easily recycled and recycled, which can not only reduce its environmental pollution, but also facilitate the recycling of materials, save resources and energy, reduce waste disposal costs, and have obvious social and economic benefits. For example, wooden pallets are still widely used in current packaging. If the double-layer corrugated cardboard made of recycled materials is used instead, the weight will be only 25% of the wooden pallets under the same strength conditions, which can not only greatly reduce the transportation cost, but also reduce the transportation costs. What is important is that the corrugated board can be recycled and recycled many times after being discarded, which can save a lot of wood and reduce the abuse and destruction of forest resources.

(4) Try to use uncoated and plated materials

In modern packaging design, in order to make the packaging more beautiful and corrosion-resistant, a large number of materials with coated layers are used, which not only brings difficulties to the recovery and reuse of materials after the end of the life of the products, but most of the coatings themselves are toxic, especially the coating, The plating process also brings great pollution to the environment. For example, paint volatile toxicity solvent odor, chromium and other heavy metals produced during electroplating waste liquid, waste residue pollution. Therefore, as far as possible, uncoated and plated packaging materials should be used.

3. Packaging waste disposal

The recycling rate of packaging waste in China is still very low according to the statistical data in 2000. There is still a large gap between the developed countries and industrialized countries, and there is still great potential to be tapped. To this end, it is necessary to strengthen the recycling and use of packaging waste, establish and improve the recycling system and use price levers to increase the recycling price. (The current low recycling price of waste packaging caused reduction of recycling volume and waste of resources should attract the attention of relevant parties.) We must also pay attention to the recycling of recycled products, sorting some of the recycled products into raw materials, and then converting them into new packaging products. Others can also be used to transform parks and stadiums into runways. The remainder can also be heated to generate energy. .

4. Promote moderate packaging

At present, many countries are advocating appropriate packaging and formulating corresponding regulations. For example, the United Kingdom imposes restrictions on the degree of complexity and luxury of packaging of goods. Exceeding the requirements will result in heavy penalties and tax increases, forcing businesses to simplify packaging and reduce environmental pollution.

The reduction of packaging design and the reduction of packaging waste at the source are the world’s first choice for green packaging. Such as: improve the material performance, so that the bottle container in the increase in strength at the same time, thin-walled lightweight, through the development of materials technology, the development of modified materials, so that plastic packaging further lightweight thin film. However, in China, there is a large amount of abuse of packaging materials in the sales packaging. Designing excessive packaging or even deceiving packaging is contrary to the trend of environmental protection in the world. Measures should be taken to provide economic sanctions.

With the continuous improvement of people's awareness of environmental protection, green packaging will bring us a brand-new and pollution-free green world. (Li Xiaogang Liu Cheng)