Countermeasures of Green Packaging Faced with Technical Barriers to Trade (II)

3 Green Packaging Technology Barriers in Developed Countries [1, 3]

While complying with the ISO14000 international environmental standards, countries also differ greatly in their requirements for green packaging according to their respective economic development levels, requirements for environmental protection standards, and environmental protection inputs. The level and requirements of developed countries have created a de facto technical barrier to developing countries - green barriers, also known as environmental barriers. In the name of protecting limited resources, environment, ecological balance or people's health, it has designated a series of harsh environmental protection standards to limit products from abroad. It is an emerging form of trade technical barriers. It has the characteristics of strong concealment, high technical requirements, and flexibility.

Green barriers cover a wide range of issues, including standards for commodity and hazardous substance content, “green technical standards”, green environmental labels, green packaging systems, green hygiene advice, and green subsidies. At present, the technical barriers to green packaging mainly have the following forms:

(1) The use of certain packaging materials, packaging forms or packaging types is prohibited. Such as the Danish government's ban on metal beverage cans, the United States, Maine's ban on anti-corrosion packaging. For products entering the Japanese market, the selection of specifications is also strict, and it can be called a yoke against the entry of foreign products into the Japanese market. These products are divided into two types of specifications: First, mandatory specifications. This mainly means that the quality, shape, size, and inspection method of the product must meet its specific standards, otherwise it cannot be manufactured and sold in Japan (such as medicine, cosmetics, food additives, electrical appliances, and computing equipment, etc.); specification. Such products are mainly products that are naturally formed in the eyes of consumers in the Japanese market each year. This specification is divided into three categories: national specifications, group specifications, and arbitrary quality marks. Among them, JIS specifications (industrial products), JAC specifications (agricultural products), G logos, SG logos, and ST logos are all well-known to Japanese consumers and are arbitrary, but it is basically impossible to enter Japan without meeting the requirements of these standards. market.
(2) Develop product standards that can affect packaging, such as requiring certain product packaging to use a certain percentage of recycled material.
(3) It is required to return the used package to the original production site.
(4) Relevant laws and regulations for reusing, recycling, or ensuring minimum waste recycling requirements. Germany is the first country in the world to pay attention to the recycling and utilization of packaging waste. In 1975, the German government and the industrial sector reached an agreement on resource conservation and increased recycling of packaging waste. In 1986, the German government promulgated the Waste Disposal and Management Act. In 1991, the decree on packaging waste was formally promulgated to legislate. Mode Command Product producers and sellers are responsible for recycling packaging waste. Austria began implementing new packaging regulations in 1993; the United Kingdom has also formulated a plan for the reuse of packaging materials; Japan has also issued the "Recycling Regulations" and "Amendments to the Waste Removal Regulations"; the United States has stipulated a series of ordinances for waste disposal.
(5) Charges for certain types of packaging. At least 500 cities in Germany are considering the collection of “packaging taxes” and have received support from the court. Its purpose is not to generate income but to reduce packaging waste.
(6) Special provisions for the contents of packaging labels. There is Germany's "Blue Angel" plan, which stipulates that products must have corresponding labels; Canada and Japan respectively call "environmental choices" and "ecological signs"; the United States also implemented the system in 1988; in 1993, the European Union also introduced environmental labels. The European Community has imposed eco-labels on imported products such as textiles.

4 Strengthen China's green packaging strategy

4.1 Strengthen corporate management and green awareness, and strictly implement the ISO14000 series of environmental standards

The ISO14000 environmental standard is the passport for enterprises and products entering the international market competition system. Enterprises that do not have “green products” after the 21st century have no room for survival. Products that do not have “green packaging” cannot occupy the market. In order to develop our country's enterprises and products, we must strengthen our green awareness and measures, and organize, manage, produce, and operate in strict accordance with the ISO14000 series of standards. For the green evaluation of enterprises in the ISO14000 series of standards, companies should formulate corresponding environmental management system (EMS), environmental behavior assessment system (EPE), and environmental auditing and environmental monitoring system according to their attributes, products, scale, and production activities ( EA).

The core elements of the environmental management system include five primary elements such as environmental policy, environmental planning, implementation and operation, inspection and correction, and management review. The management system will lead the company to continuously design, material, manufacture, use, and finalize the processing of the packaged product. All aspects such as improving the environment.

4.2 The company obtains "environmental certification" and the green mark of product packaging

In the modern market, the company's "environmental certification" and quality certification are equally important. The former focuses on environmental quality while the latter emphasizes product quality. For the packaging industry's materials and container manufacturers, only "saving energy, recycling, and reuse" is far from enough. Enterprises must pass certification of authority and obtain environmental permits to enter the international market before they can perform normal competition. The contents of the environmental audit include: the company's environmental management system, the company's environmental status and environmental performance, whether the company's activities comply with laws and regulations, and whether the company's report is complete.

In order to increase the initiative of enterprises to establish an environmental system, ISO14000 implements an environmental labeling system and divides environmental labels into three categories. That is, ecological signs, information signs and product environmental quality signs. Due to the different actual conditions in different countries, the requirements for environmental labels are also different. Many signs are even mandatory. To export these enterprises and products to these countries, we must implement and strengthen the company's environmental certification and the product's green logo, otherwise it will be rejected by the environmental barriers, that is, “green barriers” outside the international market.

4.3 Take the green manufacturing mode[4]

As a packaging company in China, we should actively develop green packaging and implement green packaging standards. To achieve a green packaging project, we must implement a green manufacturing model from a systematic and comprehensive perspective. The greenness of the product itself and the greenness of the packaging material cannot meet the requirements of the green standard, but also the guarantee of the green manufacturing mode.

The green manufacturing model refers to the modern manufacturing model that comprehensively considers the environmental impact and resource efficiency under the premise of ensuring the function, quality, and cost of the product. It makes the product from the design, manufacture, use to the end of the entire product life cycle does not produce environmental pollution or minimize environmental pollution, meet environmental protection requirements, harmless to the ecological environment or minimal harm, save resources and energy, make resources use The highest rate, the lowest energy consumption. After careful analysis of the “green” status of production from multiple perspectives, we should formulate clean production that meets the characteristics of the company itself, and continuously inspect and evaluate the production results based on follow-up analysis, and actively adjust and respond to it.

4.4 High-tech applications and technological innovations [3]

China's packaging industry has a weak late start, especially two weak points that restrict the development of the industry: the development and use of packaging materials and packaging machinery are even more prominent after joining the WTO. Packaging materials are the material basis for implementing product packaging. Therefore, packaging materials must be green in nature, and green in processing production. The green nature of product packaging technology is to ensure that packaging materials meet environmental protection requirements throughout the entire life cycle. Green packaging must be implemented and completed through packaging machinery, so green packaging machinery should save resources and energy; use pollution-free or low-pollution technology; high cost-effectiveness; eco-environmental protection; more than one machine, high production efficiency; equipment automation, intelligence And digitalization. At present, many international companies have introduced production equipment that ensures green packaging.

4.5 Research and Formulation of Independent Property Rights Technology [5]

To strengthen the development of the green industry in the packaging industry, we must first digest and absorb advanced foreign technology. The packaging industry must rely on management, technological innovation, talent development, government support and other channels to increase research and development of new technologies, new processes, new materials, new equipment, new standards, and new regulations related to green packaging. Passive response is the initiative to break through technical barriers to ensure the normal development of China's packaging industry and products.

5 Conclusion

Green packaging is the guarantee of green products. Green products without green packaging cannot enter the competitive order of the international market. China's packaging industry and enterprises should actively adopt and adapt to international environmental standards. At the same time, they should also follow and study the environmental barriers of various countries in order to avoid the increase in costs and unnecessary economic losses caused by products that do not meet the requirements of green packaging. At the same time, China's packaging industry and enterprises must also actively respond to research and formulate green packaging standards and regulations in line with China's national conditions, and fundamentally change passive response to take the initiative.