Jimu News reporter Liu Dongli
Intern Gong Jiaxin Li Chenxing p>
As the Dragon Boat Festival approaching, Jimu News reporters visited and found that in many supermarkets in Wuhan, seasonal food such as zongzi and salted duck eggs are in high demand. Many citizens will carry beautifully packaged zongzi gift boxes as gifts when visiting relatives and friends . So, are these items over-packed?
On May 24, 2022, the State Administration for Market Regulation approved the release of the National Standard No. 1 Amendment to the “Restriction of Excessive Packaging Requirements for Food and Cosmetics” (GB 23350-2021), which will be implemented on August 15 this year. . This mandatory national standard has been modified for the excessive packaging of rice dumplings and moon cakes, aiming to further reduce the number of packaging layers, compress packaging gaps, and reduce packaging costs.
A variety of rice dumplings displayed in the supermarket
On May 30, in the The Walmart supermarket on Xudong Street, Wuchang District, Wuhan City, is filled with all kinds of Zongzi gift boxes as soon as you enter the door, and their appearance is very delicate. “Dragon Boat Festival is approaching, and more and more people are buying zongzi. We have launched some cost-effective gift box sets, which are very cost-effective.” According to the sales staff, a dragon boat dumpling gift box priced at 99 yuan is also relatively popular. As of noon on the day , has sold more than 50 boxes.
In the Zhongbai warehouse of Tieji Road, a Dragon Boat Festival gift box priced at 289 yuan is favored by many consumers because of its exquisite packaging.
Jimu news reporters found that in addition to gift boxes packed in paper boxes and iron boxes, there are also gift boxes in the shape of bamboo baskets and backpacks. The packaging can be described as various. The appearance of the dumpling gift box is beautiful, but the price that comes with it is also a lot higher. In the Hema Xiansheng supermarket, the price of two bulk dumplings is 18.98 yuan and 16.98 yuan; while in the freezer of Zhongbai Warehouse, six dumplings are priced at 23.5 yuan. On average, there are 15 zongzi in each box, and the maximum value is more than 300 yuan.
Various rice dumplings displayed in supermarkets
“According to statistics, packaging waste It accounts for about 30% to 40% of urban waste. Excessive packaging leads to inconsistency and environmental protection, and it also increases consumers’ extra costs.” Yang Fan, an inspector of Wuhan Weights and Measures Management Institute, introduced that after the implementation of the new regulations, dumplings and moon cakes will be released. Other packaging standards are more stringent, such as reducing the number of packaging layers for moon cakes and rice dumplings from a maximum of four layers to a maximum of three layers. By reducing the proportion of packaging cost to sales price and the packaging gap, the necessary space factor of moon cakes has been reduced from 12 to 7, which is equivalent to a 42% reduction in packaging volume; the necessary space factor of rice dumplings has been reduced from 12 to 5, which is equivalent to a reduction in packaging volume. 58%. Strict requirements are also imposed on product mixing, stipulating that mooncakes should not be mixed with other products, and rice dumplings should not be mixed with other products that exceed their price.
“The packaging of food and cosmetics exceeds the normal functional requirements, that is, excessive packaging.” Yang Fan said, for example, according to the original standard, the layer of vacuum packaging outside the rice dumpling leaves is the initial packaging, not counting into the packaging layers. However, after the implementation of the new regulations, the concept of initial packaging is cancelled, and this layer of packaging will also be counted as the number of packaging layers. For another example, if there are packaging bags, trays, and forks in the moon cake packaging box, the demand has been met. If there are other packaging, it will be regarded as redundant packaging, that is, excessive packaging.
According to my country’s “Law on the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Wastes”, if producers and operators fail to comply with the mandatory standards restricting excessive packaging of commodities, the market supervision department or relevant departments will order corrections; If the circumstances are serious, a fine of not less than 20,000 yuan but not more than 100,000 yuan shall be imposed.
Yangfan introduced that since 2020, the institute has sampled 95 batches of over-packaged commodities in Wuhan, involving many production enterprises and large supermarkets, and the pass rate is 100%. “This shows that enterprises are strengthening their awareness of self-management and law-abiding by excessive packaging.” He said that the implementation date of the provisions applicable to moon cakes and rice dumplings in the No. 1 amendment is August 15, 2022. Mooncakes and rice dumplings produced before the implementation date can be sold until the end of their shelf life.