A scholar from the Chinese Academy of Engineering announced on November 21 that a law on wasteful packaging is being drafted and will be issued very soon.

Zou Tieyong is a well-known materials expert and was speaking at the annual conference of the China Association of Science and Technology held in Boao, Hainan on November 20-23.

He criticized current packaging trends in China and said, "It's a shame to be proud of extravagancy." He gave the example of moon-cakes sold for nearly 100,000 yuan (US$12,082) and packed with gold and pearls.

Moon-cakes are traditional gifts during the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. In recent years, manufacturers have competed with increasingly ornate and extravagant packaging, leading to a great waste of resources.

The law being drafted will include strict regulations to limit the amount of packaging, and Zou Tieyong is hopeful that when the next moon-cake selling season comes around, over-packaging will be punishable by law.

He also appealed for China to develop a greater recycling economy and to become a recycling society. He said the responsibility of the government is to provide legislative support; the responsibility of business is to reduce waste and increase recycling; the responsibility of the public is to increase awareness of thrift and adapt their consumer habits. Meanwhile, science and technology could also play a core role.

According to Mao Rubo, director of the Environment and Resources Protection Committee of the National People's Congress, disposed packing materials account for 30 percent of urban waste.

(China.org.cn by Wang Qian November 25, 2004)