Green design understanding

Green packaging design is a packaging design process with the core concept of environment and resources. It requires that the basic attributes and environmental attributes of the product be closely integrated throughout the life of the product. In addition to meeting product performance requirements, design decisions must also meet environmental performance requirements to achieve optimal design goals.

Green packaging design is a developing system design method that integrates object-oriented technology, concurrent engineering, and life cycle. It is a system that integrates the quality, function, life, and environment of packaging. It not only needs to consider the quality, function and cost of packaging, but also consider the impact of packaging on the environment from raw materials to the whole process of processing, use and disposal. That is, the whole process from cradle to reproduction. The green packaging design can maximize the utilization of resources and energy, and minimize the impact of packaging on the environment or completely eliminate pollution.

The main contents of the green packaging design include: materials for green packaging design, structural design of green packaging, recyclability design of packaging, cost analysis of green packaging, and so on.

Materials for green packaging design: designers are required to change the traditional selection of materials and steps. When selecting materials, it is necessary not only to consider the function of packaging products, but also to consider the environmental constraints, which should be non-toxic, non-polluting, easy to recycle, and easy to degrade s material. In general, cardboard, metal, glass, biodegradable plastic, cloth, etc. are all green materials.

Structural design of green packaging: The packaging structure should be as simple as possible when carrying out packaging design. Excessive packaging of goods not only consumes more materials, increases the volume of the packaging, causes waste of resources, but also increases the amount of urban waste that is not conducive to environmental protection. In addition, over-ornate packaging also increases the economic burden on consumers, resulting in consumer infringement.

The green packaging recyclability design: It is a kind of packaging materials in the initial stage of the design will consider the possibility of recycling of packaging materials, recycling value, recycling methods and a series of issues, so as to achieve the maximum use of packaging materials, energy, and Design ideas and methods that minimize environmental pollution. Recyclability design includes: Recyclable materials and signs; Recyclable processes and methods; Economic evaluation of recyclability; Recyclable structural design.

The cost analysis of green packaging: The cost analysis of green packaging is different from the traditional packaging cost analysis. Since the initial stage of product design, we must consider the performance of product recycling, recycling and other uses. In addition, whether or not the expenditure on environmental protection will affect the cost accounting of the product. And there are differences in the actual costs of the same environmental projects in different countries. Therefore, the green packaging cost analysis should be carried out at the beginning of each design, so as to make the design packaging cost lower.

Reprinted from: China Green Packaging Network