China Legal Network
At present, the green packaging system has become one of the main contents of setting green standards in developed countries internationally. The green packaging system requires imported product packaging to save energy, be easy to recycle or reuse after use, be easy to naturally decompose, not pollute the environment, protect environmental resources and consumer health. According to this institutional principle, in the past decade or so, developed countries have taken measures to formulate laws and directives on packaging that contain clear environmental protection measures, mainly including the following:
1. Legislative provisions prohibit the use of certain packaging materials. If legislation prohibits the use of packaging materials containing components such as lead, mercury, and copper; Non reusable equipment; Packaging materials that have not reached a specific recycling ratio.
2. Establish a storage and return system. Many countries require the use of reusable containers for alcoholic and soft drinks. Some countries (such as Denmark) require that imports be refused if this standard cannot be met.
3. Implementing tax incentives or fines refers to providing tax exemptions, low tax incentives, or higher taxes to manufacturers who produce and use packaging materials, based on whether the raw materials used in their production or packaging are safe or partially using recyclable packaging materials, in order to encourage the use of renewable resources.
In addition, Europe and the United States have also established relatively comprehensive regulations for the recycling and disposal of packaging waste. Germany is at the forefront of the world in this regard. In 1991, the country promulgated the German Packaging Law, which stipulated the recycling rate of sales packaging in the form of national laws and regulations, and made clear and strict provisions for the recycling and treatment of packaging waste. It proposed the principle of "whoever pollutes, whoever manages". A French law on household packaging waste borrowed German principles, stipulating that manufacturers or importers of packaged food must be responsible for the recycling of household waste. They may join government supported industrial system organizations, establish their own recycling systems, or participate in a storage program. It does not have specific indicators, so it is more flexible in execution. This is the French system that is seen as a model by other European countries. The United States follows a completely different approach to the recycling and utilization of urban solid waste. It emphasizes more on operating according to market mechanisms, emphasizing the treatment of all garbage, rather than just focusing on the treatment of packaging waste; Set overall and focused recycling goals, rather than setting unreasonable recycling ratios and deadlines for each material.
