The State Council of China, during an executive meeting held on March 12, deliberated and passed the “Decision (Draft) on Amending the Interim Regulations on Express Delivery.” The revision aims to promote green, reduced, and recyclable express packaging, accelerating the country’s transition towards sustainable production and consumption patterns.

The meeting emphasized the need for systematic and collaborative governance to tackle packaging waste. It called for consolidating the primary responsibilities of express delivery enterprises, while also strengthening guidelines for upstream manufacturers, merchants, and downstream consumers, ensuring a comprehensive, whole-chain governance approach.

Furthermore, the State Council stressed the importance of improving support policies for the green transformation of express packaging — including efforts to lower operational costs related to packaging, recycling, cleaning, and logistics allocation. The goal is to motivate all stakeholders and foster a positive societal atmosphere for green development.

Commenting on the revision, Xu Junjun, Deputy Director of the YTO Development Research Center, noted that the core objective is to address express packaging pollution by making packaging more eco-friendly, cost-effective, and reusable. Xu highlighted the need to eliminate wasteful packaging practices, such as the excessive layering of packages likened to “unpacking Russian nesting dolls,” thereby reducing the environmental burden.

Industry experts believe that the revision will drive technological upgrades across enterprises, compelling express companies to optimize packaging processes and adopt environmentally friendly materials. Integrating innovations like “original direct shipping” models in partnership with e-commerce platforms could increase short-term costs but is expected to boost long-term efficiency and enhance brand reputation.

The new regulation will also clarify environmental responsibilities across the entire supply chain, requiring packaging manufacturers, e-commerce platforms, logistics companies, and consumers to share accountability for sustainable packaging practices.

Xu Junjun emphasized that this amendment is not only an environmental challenge for the express delivery sector but also a call for lifestyle transformation. By standardizing packaging and promoting recycling, the industry can reduce resource waste, drive innovation, and ultimately make deliveries more efficient and environmentally friendly.

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