Cost of greener deliveries has to be borne by all

SEVERAL DOMESTIC express delivery companies have announced their plan of using biodegradable plastic bags for packaging purposes. Data show that in Fujian province alone, they will use more than 10 million green bags and recycle 1 million paper boxes for use as packaging. Legal Daily comments:

Online shopping platforms have not only brought us greater convenience in daily life, but also propelled the country’s economic growth.

Yet the massive use of plastic bags and paper boxes has already caused environmental problems. Data show that in 2014 alone, a total of 5.6 billion plastic bags had been used by domestic express delivery companies.

Technologically, this problem can be solved. As early as September last year, it was announced that a kind of plastic bag that is 100 percent biodegradable had been developed. Under natural conditions, the plastic bag will totally decompose within several months.

However, such bags inevitably cost much more than non-biodegradable ones. Therefore, to put them into use, the delivery companies face higher costs that they will pass on to online shop owners and consumers. So their support is vital for the introduction of biodegradable plastic bags.

Besides paying more for deliveries using biodegradable plastic bags, consumers could also help to protect the environment by forming the good habit of recycling paper boxes. Many express delivery companies already offer a service for the recycling of paper boxes from consumers, and all the latter need to do is to help with the recycling process instead of throwing the boxes away.

The annual shopping carnival, which falls on Nov 11, will be here soon. The China Express Association estimated that there will be more than 1 billion express delivery orders nationwide during that time. We hope consumers and express delivery companies can join hands and use more biodegradable plastic bags and recycle the paper boxes, so as to make our environment greener.