What’s new:UPS China has become the first country in our network to introduce biodegradable packing bags into its operations. The new packaging will degrade within 180 days through composting.
Why it matters: According to the State Post Bureau of China, the country’s consumption of express packaging materials exceeded 40 million tons in 2020. Most packaging material will take at least a few hundred years to fully decompose.
More about the bags:
- The packaging is made mostly of PBAT (butyleneadipate-co-terephthalate) and PLA (polylactic acid), helping reduce environmental impact
- The material is more malleable and tear-resistant
- The bags received a ‘Green Product Certification’ from the State Post Bureau
The path to green packaging: Henry Jiao, a green packaging professional at UPS has been on the lookout for this new biodegradable material since 2019. “As is often the case, it took a bit of time to balance quality and price; we needed to make sure the greener way was effective, but also still affordable - and this solution makes good business sense. Research and development has improved a lot in the last few years, and we’re proud to be helping our organization on its way to achieving our ambitious sustainability goals,” said Henry.
Find out more about how UPS China is going green:
- Introducing electric vehicles (EVs) to more cities, including Beijing, Shenzhen and Guangzhou
- Setting up green operations centers that include features such as eco-friendly packaging, smart energy and an electrified delivery fleet