Rejecting Excessive Packaging, Mooncake Market Returning to Rationality | CBCGDF Legal Working Committee

Recently, a piece of news titled "Reject excessive packaging! This year's mooncake market is going "simple style"" has become a hot search. Many high-end mooncakes no longer use rare ingredients such as bird's nests and shark fins as fillings as in previous years; many mooncakes have also been "slimmed down" by reducing the combination of salt, sweetness, and oil, and reducing the combination of famous wines, famous teas, and precious medicinal materials. 

Mooncakes have gone through a long journey from the luxurious packaging of three layers inside and three layers outside to the light packaging today. As early as 2009, in order to reduce resource consumption in commodity packaging and accelerate the construction of a resource-saving and environmentally friendly society, the General Office of the State Council issued the "Notice on the Management of Excessive Packaging of Commodities". However, in order to create a high-end image of products and attract consumers' attention, some businesses have led to the problem of luxury and excessive packaging, which has become more and more serious, especially in moon cakes, rice dumplings, tea and other commodities. 

In order to safeguard the public interest and reduce the waste of resources and environmental pollution caused by excessive packaging, in early 2021, the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) filed an environmental public interest lawsuit against a moon cake production and sales manufacturer in Shanghai due to excessive packaging of moon cakes. The case has attracted widespread attention from many media and the public. Under the active promotion of this case, in August 2021, the State Administration for Market Regulation revised and issued the "Requirements for Restricting Excessive Packaging of Commodities - Food and Cosmetics" (GB 23350-2021) national standard; on June 7, 2022, the National Development and Reform Commission and other four departments jointly issued the "Notice on Curbing "Sky-High" Mooncakes and Promoting the Healthy Development of the Industry", which clearly restricted the excessive packaging and bundling of boxed mooncakes; on the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2022, the General Office of the State Council issued the "Notice on Further Strengthening the Governance of Excessive Packaging of Commodities", which clearly stated: "Focus on key commodities such as mooncakes, rice dumplings, tea, health foods, and cosmetics, and strictly investigate and punish illegal production and sales of over-packaged commodities in accordance with the law."

The mooncake over-packaging case filed by CBCGDF has lasted for more than two years. The final result is that although the court found that the defendant had excessive packaging, it did not believe that the behavior would cause pollution and damage to the ecological environment, and finally only ordered the defendant to pay relevant reasonable expenses of 30,000 yuan. Although the case was not supported by the court in the end, it played a positive and positive demonstration role in restricting excessive packaging of commodities, promoting packaging reduction, encouraging consumers to consume green, and purchasing simple packaged commodities.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching. We hope that more companies can strengthen industry self-discipline, strictly implement national standards, strengthen technological innovation in the packaging field, and prevent excessive packaging in the production and sales of goods. We also hope that the public will establish correct consumption concepts, consciously resist excessive packaging, and let the green and healthy development of the mooncake market enter the "fast lane."

Reporter: Daisy

Checked by Sara

Editor: Daisy

Contact: v10@cbcgdf.org; +8617319454776

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