China has announced revised regulations on the express delivery sector, set to take effect on June 1, in a move to promote greener practices in packaging and support the sector's sustainable development.

The rules, issued by the State Council, consist of 15 articles aimed at building a technologically advanced, high-quality, safe, efficient and energy-saving express delivery system that serves both urban and rural areas.

Under the regulations, express delivery companies are encouraged to use biodegradable and reusable materials and to optimize packaging design to reduce excessive waste. The rules also address the high costs of green packaging by encouraging technological innovation and the development of new eco-friendly materials, technologies and production processes.

To improve upstream governance, the regulations promote cooperation between express delivery companies, manufacturers and e-commerce platforms. Measures such as direct shipment of original product packaging are encouraged to minimize secondary packaging during the delivery process.

The regulations also seek to tackle the low recycling rate of packaging materials. Companies are encouraged to set up recycling facilities at operational sites, businesses and residential communities. Incentive mechanisms such as reward points and discounts for customers who reuse packaging are also promoted.

China handled 175 billion express parcels last year, a 245 percent increase from 2018 and a 21 percent rise compared with the previous year. Despite its vital contribution to economic growth and improving livelihoods, the industry's rapid expansion has led to significant resource consumption and environmental pollution.

The fast-growing sector has encountered new challenges, including the substantial volume of packages generating significant plastic and paper waste. Companies are encouraged to use environmentally friendly packaging materials to support the sector's green development.

Experts said the revised rules fill a major policy gap in the green development of the express delivery sector, marking a milestone in the industry's history.

"The new regulations mark an important milestone in the green transition and high-quality development of the express delivery industry. They demonstrate China's firm commitment to pursuing a path of green development. As the country with the largest express delivery volume in the world, China is set to achieve continued success in advancing the green development of the sector," said Ding Hongtao, director of the legal affairs department at the China Express Association.

Liu Jianguo, a professor at Tsinghua University's School of Environment, said express packaging is used in large amounts, involves many different parties and has a long recycling process. The new regulations clearly outline the responsibilities of government departments, delivery companies, e-commerce platforms, manufacturers, packaging producers, industry groups and consumers at every stage—from design and production to reducing waste, recycling and reuse.

"This will help create a green development system for express packaging that involves government leadership, business responsibility, industry self-regulation and public participation," Liu said.

In the past five years, China has been working to promote green development in the parcel delivery industry and has released several regulations and new standards to better regulate the sector.

Last year, the Ministry of Transport issued a stricter regulation amendment aimed at promoting environmental sustainability in the parcel delivery sector. The rules, which took effect on March 1, 2024, replaced a 2013 regulation and established a comprehensive framework to guide the sector toward greener development.

Pan Di, an expert in the postal industry said that updated laws and standards have gradually improved express packaging management, but more work is still needed. "In 2024, over 95 percent of e-commerce parcels no longer needed extra packaging. Smart packing technology has greatly reduced material waste," Pan said.

China's parcel delivery sector has seen significant progress over the past decade. Last year, the sector shattered all previous records by handling a staggering 174.5 billion packages—equivalent to more than 124 per person in the country.

This year, the number is expected to reach 200 billion, making the new regulations even more critical to China's broader push to advance its green transition across key industries and support high-quality development.