Packaging Industry - Environmental Protection

At present, the annual output of packaging waste in China is about 16 million tons, and at the same time it is still growing at a rate of more than 10% each year. The resulting environmental problems are mainly manifested in many aspects such as the consumption of natural resources, the disposal of wastes, the increase of waste management pressure, and the environmental impact of waste.
Relevant experts pointed out that at present, packaging waste has been increasing, and recycling technology has reached an initial maturity. Under the condition that solid waste is treated in the direction of reduction, harmlessness, and recycling, it is not only feasible to invest in the recycling of packaging waste. And it will also promote the development of the packaging industry. On the one hand, this is in line with the country's sustainable development strategy. The strengthening of environmental protection has solved the worries of the development of the packaging industry and opened new economic growth points. On the other hand, advancing to the environmental protection industry can develop inexpensive packaging for the packaging industry. Sources of raw materials, lower original production costs, with dual economic and ecological benefits.
With the increase in the amount of packaging waste, the cost of waste disposal has been rising, and increasing the recycling of packaging waste is a general trend. However, in the rapid development of packaging production, China still has a large gap with developed countries in terms of waste management, disposal and recycling.
It is understood that the current recycling rate of paper, iron, aluminum and glass containers in Switzerland averages over 86%; the German tinplate recovery rate is 50%, the corrugated paper recovery rate is as high as 95%, and the comprehensive recovery rate of waste newspapers is 78%. In contrast, the environmental pollution caused by the production, circulation, and consumption of packaging products in China has not been fully and adequately valued. Experts cautioned that the current investment in packaging recycling waste recycling is at the right time.
First of all, the recycling of packaging materials has obvious economic and ecological benefits. According to experts, although there are many types of packaging waste, the packaging materials can be basically divided into four categories: paper products, plastic products, glass products and metal products. Packaging waste is mostly renewable resources. Calculated according to the current recovery level: The country recycles 140,000 tons of cartons a year, which can save 80,000 tons of coal with the same amount of paper, electricity, 49 million degrees, wood pulp and straw. 8 tons, 11,000 tons of caustic soda; 1 billion glass bottles recycled a year, which can save 49,000 tons of coal needed for the same amount of glass bottles, 38.5 million tons of electricity, 49,000 tons of quartz stone, soda ash 1.57 million tons; recycling 40 million iron barrels, saving steel 48,000 tons; recycling packaging 100 million meters a year, can save 15,000 tons of cotton; recycling all kinds of sacks 3000, can Save 2.5 tons of raw hemp, and the total value of the above items will reach several hundred million yuan.
Second, the continuous growth of packaging waste production provides sufficient production resources for recycling. Judging from the statistics of the total output of the national packaging industry, currently there are approximately 8.35 million tons of paper packaging products, 2.44 million tons of plastic packaging products, 4.44 million tons of glass packaging products, and 1.61 million tons of metal packaging products. At the same time, these products also grow at rates ranging from 12.5% ​​to 30% per year. Research data shows that 1 ton of waste paper can regenerate 0.8 ton of new paper or 0.83 ton of cardboard; a ton of waste plastic can regenerate 0.75 ton of diesel or 0.6 ton of unleaded gasoline. From this we can see that there is no need to worry about the "raw material" problem of recycling.
Thirdly, the technology for the treatment of packaging waste has become increasingly mature. The treated packaging waste has a wide range of applications and its market prospects are promising. For example, degradable plastics composting and soilless cultivation matrix technology are the supporting technologies for degradable plastic lunch boxes and other products. After discarded snack boxes are recycled, they can be mixed with soil or other substrates by smashing and detoxifying treatment, and used for soilless or semi-aerial cultivation. The waste plastics oiling technology uses high-performance catalysts to depolymerize high-density polyethylene or polypropylene plastics after a certain pressure and temperature, and reconnects hydrocarbons in the plastic particles into long-chain hydrocarbon compounds, that is, liquids. Oil; Can produce diesel and gasoline that meet the national standards, oil production rate of more than 75%; If you install the necessary equipment, you can also recycle liquefied gas and carbon black. By changing the catalyst, it can also produce chemical products such as toluene, xylene, and pure benzene. In addition, waste plastics (including PE, PP, PVC, PS) and filling mixtures (including a variety of urban and rural wastes such as activated carbon waste, crushed animal and plant waste, weathered coal, humic acid, etc.) together form a fertilizer coating. The cost of coating is only about RMB 300/ton more than ordinary compound fertilizer. This is an environmental protection project that changes "white pollution" to "green fertilizer" and can absorb a large amount of packaging waste.