The connotation and thinking of green packaging

Abstract: This paper first introduces the basic concept of green packaging and its significance to the sustainable development of the country, and then explains the rich connotation of green packaging. At last, it elaborates the author's thinking on green design in the form of illustrations and texts, hoping to design from Perspective to promote sustainable development.

Over the past three hundred years of the industrial revolution, human civilization has developed rapidly. At the same time, the natural resources and ecological environment that are available for use have also been greatly affected. Mankind must think about new development paths. The United Nations Environment and Development Commission issued “Our Common Future” in 1987. The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development adopted the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and Agenda 21 in 1992 and immediately launched a worldwide Protecting the ecological environment as the core of the green line of action; China's packaging industry "Ninth Five-Year" development plan and 2010 vision of development goals clearly pointed out that the development of the packaging industry should follow the principle of combining accelerated growth with the protection of the environment, green packaging design will focus on The ecological balance between man and nature, minimizing the destruction of the living environment is a strategic height to frame the design strategy, green packaging design promotes economic, cultural and social development; green packaging fully reflects the coordination of environmental protection and economic development. The strategy of sustainable development, the protection of the environment, and the development of green packaging have become an inevitable choice for the development of packaging in countries around the world. Green packaging will become an inevitable trend in the development of the packaging industry.

Green packaging, English "Green Package", some people also call it the Friends of the environment packaging "Eviromental Friendly Package" or ecological package "Ecological Package", that is not harmful to the ecological environment and human health, can be recycled and recycled packaging. Green packaging is a systematic project, which includes many aspects such as containers, packaging materials, packaging design, production processes, and waste disposal technologies. It is the development direction of packaging disciplines and also the sustainable development path of China's packaging industry.

At the same time, some packaging designers still have a problem in understanding the basic concept of packaging. They think that product packaging design is only an important means to evoke consumers’ desire to purchase, promote the sale of goods, and obtain economic benefits. Under the effect, a large number of packaging designs that only focus on the immediate economic interests have emerged. For example, the size and volume of commodity packaging have been excessively increased, and unnecessary multi-level and tedious packaging has been carried out. In order to make products have a sense of luxury, high-cost printing is used, and in order to reduce packaging costs, the use of The phenomenon of packaging materials that are difficult to recycle and handle is also everywhere.

Green packaging generally has five aspects:

First, reduction

Natural resources are the material basis for the packaging industry. From the perspective of sustainable human development, packaging should meet the protection, convenience, sales, and other functions. The use of raw materials should be minimized to benefit future generations.

Second, easy to reuse, easy to recycle

Through the production of recycled products, incineration and utilization of heat energy, composting to improve soil and other measures to achieve the purpose of reuse.

Third, the waste packaging can be degraded

Ultimately, no permanent waste is formed, and the purpose of soil improvement is achieved.

Fourth, packaging materials are non-toxic to humans and organisms

Packaging materials should not contain toxic elements, bacteria, heavy metals or these contents should be controlled below relevant standards;

V. Packaging is closely related to environmental protection and ecological balance

Packaging products shall not cause pollution to organisms or the environment from the collection, processing, manufacturing, use, recycling, and recycling of raw materials until their final disposal.

In a broad sense, in the packaging of production, manufacture, use, and recycling, we respond to human health and have a good protective effect on the ecological environment. As an important part of the packaging industry, packaging design can develop green packaging. Play a pivotal role,

I think we can think from the following aspects:

First, use green materials:

Packaging designers should use green packaging materials as much as possible, which can greatly reduce the environmental pollution caused by the disposal of packaging materials. The image on the left shows the material developed by a foreign company. It is a one-time use and can be naturally degraded. The new materials, designers can try to use in some areas.

Second, packaging reduction:

In some developed countries, many supermarkets encourage consumers to use nylon shopping bags that can be used multiple times, and use less disposable plastic bags. Materials used in packaging design are minimized, unnecessary packaging is eliminated as much as possible, and simple packaging is promoted. In order to save resources, as shown in the right figure, in addition to the use of environmentally friendly bamboo materials, the design also focuses on reducing packaging, eliminating unnecessary decorations, and taking into account functions.

Third, a single packaging material:

The materials used should be as simple as possible, and should not be mixed with dissimilar materials to facilitate recycling; as shown in the figure on the left, there is only one type of packaging material for cotton socks, which is not only easy to recycle, but also has a strong sense of modernity and visual impact; At the same time try to use environmentally friendly ink to achieve green printing.

Fourth, removable packaging design:

The packaging that requires the composite material structure should be designed as a detachable structure, which is conducive to recycling after dismantling. As shown in the right figure, the material used in this packaging structure is more complex, so different parts use different materials and structures for classification and recycling.

Fifth, recycling of packaging materials:

Use packaging that can be recycled, reused, and recycled to increase the life cycle of the package, thereby reducing packaging waste. The eco-friendly packaging material "Ekling material" developed by Eklin, Sweden, is taken from natural packaging materials, egg shells, and is based on calcium carbonate, which is the most widely distributed substance in nature and added to the human body and the natural environment. The harmful polyolefin is a binder. Their products can be made as strong as hard plastic bottles and as soft as ordinary plastic bags.

Sixth, ergonomics:

Green packaging will be developed to meet the trend of ergonomic packaging, that is, easy to use, reasonable handling, reliable storage, easy interpretation, and meet the special psychological and physical needs of consumers in various groups, especially consumers in the elderly; In addition to the use of green materials, the packaging is designed to be used as a handle for the convenience of people. It is designed to harmonize the appearance and ease of use. It is well worth considering for its ergonomic design.

While considering many green factors, packaging design should pay attention to comprehensive balance. For example, if a package overemphasizes the green structure and adopts complicated packaging paper and packaging boxes, it is intended to emphasize the packaging materials and structure of commodity packaging despite the exquisite technique and design. High, but because of the waste of materials, it is not worth promoting; as in the design language, it emphasizes and promotes information on environmental protection and creates visual perception of green packaging between patterns, names, colors, and characters, but at the same time it uses The environment is contaminated with packaging materials and is equally undesirable. Therefore, in the actual design work, it is necessary to comprehensively balance the design factors and continuously accumulate design experience in order to obtain the optimal design.

It can be foreseen that the "green revolution" will surely be an important theme of the global packaging industry in the new century, and it will also be a distinctive feature of the development of the packaging industry in the new century. The 21st century will be a green century. It will also be a green packaging world. China's packaging design must catch up with the world's "green wave" to meet the challenges of the world and ensure that it will take the initiative in the world market in the 21st century. .

(Text / Yang Daoling Central South University)

China Packaging