Green packaging materials mainly include the following types:
1. Lightweight, thin, non-fluorinated, high-performance packaging materials These materials are the first step in the development of green packaging materials. They are mainly for the development and deep processing of existing packaging materials. Based on the basic functions of packaging, reforming excessive packaging, developing appropriate packaging, minimizing the use of packaging materials, reducing packaging costs, saving packaging material resources, reducing the amount of packaging material waste, and working hard to develop lightweight, non-fluorinated, High-performance new packaging materials. If a new type of magnesium material is used to partially replace metal packaging materials, the resulting small packaging cans have a strong texture, beautiful appearance, and small weight, and can replace tinplate cans as packaging containers for paints, hardware, and butter.
2. Reuse and Recycling of Packaging Materials Recycling and recycling of packaging materials is the most practical and feasible step in the development of green packaging materials at the current stage. It is the most active waste recycling for protecting the environment and promoting recycling of packaging materials. Processing methods, such as beer, beverages, soy sauce, vinegar, and other glass bottles used repeatedly, Sweden and other countries to implement polyester PET bottles and PC bottles can be reused more than 20 times. Recycling is a good way to solve solid waste, and in some countries has become an effective way to solve the source of materials and mitigate environmental pollution. The cost of recycled resin is generally higher than that of the original resin, and its quality and use are not as good as those of the original resin, and are often used as inexpensive materials.
3. Edible packaging materials Edible packaging materials are rich in raw materials, can be eaten, harmless to humans and even beneficial, have a certain strength, etc., and have achieved rapid development in recent years. Edible packaging materials are now widely used in the packaging of foods and pharmaceuticals. The raw materials of edible packaging materials mainly include starch, protein, plant fiber and other natural substances.
4. Degradable Packaging Materials Degradable packaging materials are plastics whose chemical structure changes in a specific environment that causes performance loss in a specific time. The development of biodegradable plastic packaging materials and the gradual elimination of non-degradable plastic packaging materials is an inevitable trend in the development of the packaging industry worldwide. It is one of the hot topics of material research. Degradable plastics can be widely used in food packaging, turnover boxes, general cargo containers, tool packaging, and external packaging boxes for some electromechanical products. Biodegradable plastic packaging materials not only have the functions and characteristics of traditional plastics, but also can be divided and degraded and reduced in the natural environment through the action of microorganisms in the soil and water, or through the action of ultraviolet rays in the sunlight after the mission is completed, and ultimately be non-toxic. The form re-enters the ecological environment and returns to nature. Degradable plastics can generally be divided into biodegradable plastics, biocleavable plastics, photodegradable plastics and biodegradable plastics.
5. Natural bio-packaging materials developed using natural resources Wastes of packaging materials such as plastics, glass, and metals have become an important factor in contaminating the environment, and the high cost of production due to non-renewable resources and high energy consumption. However, the natural biological materials used for packaging such as paper, wood, bamboo materials, sawdust, hemp cotton, wicker, reeds, crop stems, rice straw, wheat straw, etc. can all be easily decomposed in the natural environment without polluting the ecological environment. Resources are renewable and cost is low.
6. To develop paper packaging paper packaging has many advantages, such as relatively abundant resources, easy recycling, and no pollution. Western developed countries have long been using paper packaging to package hamburgers, fast food, beverages, etc., and have the potential to replace plastic flexible packaging. China is also working on the development of fiber membranes instead of plastic films as agricultural films to avoid pollution of farmland. In the proportion of materials used for packaging products in countries all over the world, the use of paper accounted for the first place. According to statistics, the United States is 51%, Japan is 39.6%, and China is 36.7%.
(2) Green Package Design [65]
Product packaging is an important part of the product life cycle, as shown in Figure 6-1. With the development of industry and the improvement of people’s living standards, this link has become increasingly important for the competition and development of enterprises. Therefore, green packaging design can effectively solve a series of problems brought about by packaging.
When designing a package, packaging designers should consider multiple scenarios and compare them. After comprehensive quantitative analysis, select the optimal design. Reasonable packaging design should be considered from the breadth of the life cycle, determine the objectives and scope of the study, after the data are quantified and analyzed and compared to get the correct design.
(3) Green Packaging Design Principles and Content
1. Research and development of non-toxic, non-polluting (including the material's own production process), recyclable, renewable or degradable packaging aids.
2. To study control technologies and alternative technologies for harmful ingredients (such as CFCs in foam snack boxes) of existing packaging materials, and alternative technologies for natural “poor materials†(such as wood substitutes, paper substitutes, etc.).
3. Optimize the packaging structure, reduce the consumption of packaging materials, and strive to reduce packaging.
4. To strengthen the recycling of packaging waste, which mainly includes packages that can be reused directly, repairable packaging, renewable waste, biodegradable waste, and waste that can only be disposed of by incineration. Figure 6-2 shows the system block diagram of packaging waste recycling.
Fig 6-2 the recovery and disposal system block diagram of package waste
4 Implementation of Green Packaging Design Should Be Efforted from the Following Aspects
(1) Strengthen the publicity and education of green packaging, and establish environmental awareness among packaging designers and consumers. Its contents include environmental crisis and pollution education, packaging waste recycling education, education on environmental protection laws and regulations, and promotion of ISO 14000 series standards for enterprises.
(2) In order to adopt green packaging, the concept of overall packaging must be established. While using less public hazard and easy-to-handle packaging materials, the basic functions of green packaging should not be ignored. Simple and recycling applications should be made on the basis of ensuring their functions. . The majority of green packaging materials are new materials and are packaged using new processes. Companies need to conduct tests before determining the availability of a new type of green packaging, including engineering technology testing, visual testing, dealer testing, and consumer testing to achieve basic functions such as product protection, non-leakage, easy opening, and attractiveness.
(3) Implement green packaging process and develop green packaging technology. Green packaging engineering technology is mainly used for the design, testing and evaluation of commodity packaging to better protect products, consumers and their environment.
(4) Attention should be paid to the propaganda function of green packaging. Green packaging is an intuitive and effective advertising method for corporate green image and its green products and brands. In the packaging design, the characteristics of green packaging should be highlighted. If the product has obtained the green mark, it shall be clearly stated on the packaging; explain as much as possible the packaging waste and product waste recycling or disposal methods, and explain the legal obligations of the product and packaging. According to legal requirements, different products should be marked with different information, including production date, shelf life, main ingredients and functions, and so on. In addition, packaging should also be used to strengthen the product, because the appearance of the package can usually strengthen the existing content of the product.
(5) Apply legal and policy measures to ensure the promotion and implementation of green packaging, formulate green packaging industry development plans, support green packaging companies, establish green packaging technology research centers, train green packaging technicians, and strive to enact national packaging regulations as soon as possible. Implementation, the packaging industry behavior into the standardization, legalization track [66].
(6) Green packaging industrialization is a means to achieve the goal of a green packaging system. The so-called industrialization includes the formation of a group of enterprises that produce green packaging products, as well as the decision-making control system, technology support system, and industry coordination system that serve these enterprise groups.
Source: China Merchants Logistics Network