The State Post Bureau ("SPB") has recently drafted and issued the Administrative Measures for Packaging of Mails and Express Posts (Draft for Comment) (the "Draft for Comment") for public comment by July 31, 2020.
According to the Draft for Comment, any entities and individuals have the right to report unlawful practices of excessive packaging on mails and express posts, use of poisonous and harmful packaging materials, illegal disposal of the discarded packaging of mails and express posts that causes pollution, etc. Enterprises, to which unified trademarks, trade names or electronic waybills used for post and delivery services belong, shall subject the packaging on mails and express posts to unified management, and undertake six responsibilities according to law, including "establishing and improving the packaging management rules". The Draft for Comment also proposes that enterprises offering post and delivery services shall prefer environmentally friendly packaging materials to pack up mails and express posts. Enterprises offering post and delivery services shall fully promote the use of electronic waybills, and electronic waybills shall be designed and used in a way that ensures safety of client information. Additionally, the Draft for Comment notes that enterprises offering post and delivery services and their practitioners are banned from conducting five types of excessive packaging, such as "leaving over 20% of the volume of a container empty". Furthermore, the Draft for Comment provides for supervision and administration, and legal liability.