Core Insights - In 2024, China's express delivery volume surpassed 170 billion packages, maintaining its position as the world's largest market for the 11th consecutive year, highlighting the significant environmental impact of packaging materials used in the industry [1] - The shift towards green packaging is driven by policies, corporate initiatives, and technological advancements, with a focus on reusable packaging solutions like circular express boxes to address the challenges of high costs and low recycling rates [1][15] Group 1: Industry Trends - The concept of "gray environmentalism" was introduced by entrepreneur Chai Aina in 2017, emphasizing that packaging should not be single-use but reusable, marking the beginning of a gradual transition towards sustainable logistics [2] - Gray Environmental's first product, made from renewable materials, has attracted significant investment, enabling the deployment of over 10 million circular boxes across China, resulting in a reduction of approximately 160,000 tons of carbon emissions [4][6] - The circular packaging model is gaining traction among major brands like Anta, which has reported significant cost savings and environmental benefits from using circular boxes for short-distance transportation [6][8] Group 2: Challenges and Solutions - The scalability of circular packaging faces challenges such as high initial costs, complex recovery processes, low consumer participation, and data sharing issues among stakeholders [7] - SF Express has been a pioneer in implementing circular packaging, having deployed over 1.4 million circular boxes by 2021, but still faces challenges in user awareness and operational complexity [8][9] - The integration of circular packaging into cold chain logistics has shown promising results, with SF Express reporting significant carbon reductions through the use of reusable cold transport boxes [9][14] Group 3: Corporate Strategies - JD.com has developed a diverse circular packaging system under its "Qingliu Plan," achieving over 70 million uses annually, focusing on product variety and ecological layout [10][12] - EMS is leveraging its extensive network to implement smart reusable packaging solutions, allowing users to easily return packaging through a mobile app [13][14] - The future of circular packaging relies on a collaborative approach among technology, user engagement, and corporate execution to create a sustainable system [14] Group 4: Policy Influence - The development of circular packaging is accelerating due to strengthened policy guidance, with clear targets set for the promotion of reusable packaging [15][16] - The revised "Interim Regulations on Express Delivery" effective June 1, 2025, mandates express companies to establish packaging operation standards and recycling management systems, making circular packaging a compliance requirement [16][17] - Recommendations for effective implementation include creating a shared recovery system, addressing data barriers, and adopting international best practices to support the transition to circular packaging [17]