New National Standard: Biodegradable Plastic Packaging Materials Should Be Used in Furniture Transportation and Sales Phases

Recently, the national standard "Furniture Environmental Awareness Design Guidelines" GB/T 45918-2025 has been released and will be officially implemented on January 1, 2026.

This standard incorporates the concept of environmentally conscious design into the entire life cycle of furniture products. It puts forward detailed design and development requirements for each stage, including raw material procurement, manufacturing, transportation and sales, use and maintenance, and recycling and disposal. The aim is to reduce the potential impact of furniture products on human health and the ecological environment, and to promote the transformation and upgrading of the furniture industry towards green and sustainable development.

In the raw material acquisition stage, the design should focus on the impact on human health and the environment.Avoid or reduce the use of raw materials containing substances harmful to human health and the environment, minimize the variety of raw materials used, and choose materials that can be directly recycled.

During the manufacturing stage, design should focus on production energy consumption and pollutant emissions.

Transportation and sales stageThe design should follow the following principles, including packaging, transportation, and storage of the product from the place of manufacture to the final user's location.

a) For furniture products, pay attention to the design of packaging volume. While meeting the requirements, choose packaging materials with low density and also pay attention to the amount used.

b) Try to use recyclable and reusable packaging materials. If possible, establish recycling channels for packaging materials and implement measures to promote the recycling of packaging materials.

c) Try to use biodegradable plastic packaging materials. Inks, dyes, stabilizers, and heavy metals can be harmful to human health and the environment, so it is best to avoid using them in packaging design. The packaging should be designed with labels indicating recycling information and instructions for handling hazardous substances.

In the usage and maintenance phase, product design should focus on ensuring user safety and facilitating convenient maintenance.

In the recycling and disposal stage, the product’s recycling and treatment methods should be given special consideration during the design phase.Provide reasonable methods or channels for separating recyclable materials from non-recyclable materials, and deliver information conducive to material recycling to stakeholders such as consumers and recycling organizations through appropriate means.