Recycle and reuse

Despite more efficient material use, single-use packaging still generates a significant amount of waste. To extend the life cycle of boxes, express delivery companies and postal services have introduced reusable circulation boxes designed for multiple uses.

Reusable plastic boxes are circulating in logistics stations of JDL Express, SF Express and Deppon Express for inter-station transportation, saving single-use packaging.

In Haikou, Hainan province, reusable boxes are being used for the delivery of resident ID cards via a collaboration between the local post office and the province's ID card production center.

"Once an ID card is produced, it is transferred to the post office, which then delivers it either directly to individuals or to one of 415 police stations across the province for residents to collect," said Zeng Qiqi, director of the marketing department of China Post in Hainan.

The waterproof reusable boxes have been used for delivering ID cards in Hainan since 2023, according to Zeng. "These boxes can be used over 50 times. After delivering a batch to the police station, we retrieve the empty box for reuse in the next delivery. For individual deliveries, we use biodegradable packaging instead," he said.

While the amended regulation puts more emphasis on the responsibility of express companies, the actions of consumers also matter for waste reduction.

Xu from ZTO noted that product returns by consumers are another significant source of packaging consumption. To address this, ZTO is piloting a specially designed cardboard box that can be reused up to three times for returned goods.

To tackle the express packages flooding into its campuses every day, Zhejiang University has operated a package collection program since 2016, serving around 100,000 people.

"Students open their packages and leave the cardboard boxes at the station for reuse," said Yao Xin, chairman of the logistics group at Zhejiang University. "In one station, over 200 packages are collected every day, which will later be provided to students for free."

Last year, over 8.2 million parcels were delivered to Zhejiang University campuses, according to Yao. A further 440,000 parcels were sent out from those campuses.

At the delivery station's mailing counter, 90 percent of the packaging boxes are reused. Deng Kaikun, a 19-year-old freshman at the university, said that reusing boxes has already become a daily habit for him.

"If I don't have a box for mailing, the staff give me one for free," Deng said.

"Whenever I open a package, I leave the box here clean and intact so it can be reused."