CCTV9英语新闻：Boom in online shopping sparks huge trash concerns

The booming e-commerce industry is good news for China, but less so when it comes to the impact of waste packaging on the environment. But who should take the share of the burden? The delivery companies, or consumers? 

 

E-commerce is growing rapidly in China. But with the boom in online retail and related delivery services comes a virtual mountain of waste that is adding to the country's environmental woes

 

Aside from the plastic and cardboard wrapping the products come in, there are the boxes, the labels and the paper or foam packing meant to protect what is nestled inside. 

 

It's not unusual to end up with far more packaging than actual products, and the sheer amount of waste that results is often staggering.

 

"For packaging, I often throw it in the rubbish bin..." 

 

"I just throw it in the rubbish bin, the cleaning ladys will help collect them."

 

China is yet to introduce any compulsive requirements for packaging. Much of the material used is complex plastic or chemically made. A lot of it can't be degraded or reused, and thus brings harm to both health and the environment.

 

However, a few delivery service providers have begun to use recyclable plastic and paper packaging materials.

 

"If we use environmental friendly packaging bags, it will cost more for me, but for those who don't use them, the cost is much less."

 

"The cost is too much, so none of us can afford to make such an attempt."

 

As for consumers, there doesn't seem to be much willingness to pay for all cost of the environmental-friendly packagings either. Therefore, to tackle this problem, perhaps, some wiser ideas are needed.

 

"When it comes to the National level, I think we need a plan or policy from the top, and then there will be more relative standards, regulations, and support from the entrepreneurs coming up. For now, the invention, recycling, and reuse of environmental materials hasn't been well organized or regulated yet, and there hasn't been relative policy in practice either," said Zhao Guojun, Beijign University of Posts and Telecom.