SHANGHAI, CHINA — The Consumer Goods Forum China has issued its Golden Design Rules (GDR) Case Study Booklet at the 3rd Annual CGF China Health and Sustainability Collaboration Conference on March 21, 2023. Sixteen CGF member companies, with technical support from the China Plastics Reuse and Recycling Association (CPRRA), submitted about 40 case studies to demonstrate how packaging design optimisation can reduce plastic waste, promote recycling and a circular economy for plastics. More than 70% of the cases presented have the potential to reduce carbon emissions.

The booklet includes an introduction to the Golden Design Rules, and showcases plastic package design cases from pioneering firms and their CEOs, including PepsiCo, P&G, Danone, Colgate-Palmolive, Bright Diary, Henkel, Haleon, Cargill, Unilever, Mars, Mengniu, L’Oréal, Nestlé, New Hope, Mondelēz and Ecolab. The launch was accompanied by a showcase of selected enterprises’ case studies at the Health and Sustainability exhibition area, providing attending guests with an immersive and interactive experience. 

The CGF Golden Design Rules Case Study Booklet PDFs can be downloaded here:
In Chinese (3.9 MB download) | In English (3,5 MB download)

Two years ago, the CGF Golden Design Rules were launched in China to promote recyclable packaging design and advance the critical need for a circular economy for plastics. Since then, the Golden Design Rules have garnered widespread attention from consumer goods manufacturers, brands, retailers, as well as academic units and industry associations in China.

The majority of case studies focused on reducing virgin plastic usage (such as material substitution and using recycled content), removing problem elements that disrupt recycling, moving towards the use of mono-materials, investing in new material technology innovations, and switching to new logistic modes in B2B and product distribution (such as loose transportation and packaging reuse). Also what is taken into account is whether the packaging changes and innovations have carbon emission reduction effects or potentials, which reflects its awareness and attention to environmentally friendly and sustainable development.

About the Consumer Goods Forum’s Plastic Waste Coalition of Action Golden Design Rules

Plastic pollution is one of the biggest issues of our time. Currently 95% of plastic packaging is created for single use and packaging produced by our consumer goods industry is on the rise globally. The United Nations Environmental Programme estimates that of the 8.3 billion tonnes of plastics produced since the 1950s, about 60% has ended up in a landfill or the natural environment. Sadly, the 8-12 million tonnes of plastic litter that ends up in the ocean every year is one of the most visible and alarming signs of this problem. 

We need collaborative action, and the CGF Plastic Waste Coalition of Action is in a formidable position to help drive positive change on the plastic waste challenge and toward a circular economy. 

The Consumer Goods Forum’s Plastic Waste Coalition of Action has created nine Golden Design Rules, for the design of plastic packaging, in line with the targets laid out in the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme. These are voluntary, visible and ambitious changes that require convergent action to achieve progress towards a circular economy for plastics, with more than 30 leading multi-national companies having signed up to implement these rules across their plastic packaging portfolios by 2025. Together, if fully adopted by industry, the full set of Golden Design Rules reach over 90% of plastic packaging available on the market.

For more information about CGF China Golden Design Rules Case Study Booklets, please contact shanghai@theconsumergoodsforum.com .

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