Packaging Companies: 3 Common Violation Cases and Penalty Standards - Hazardous Waste / VOC / False Advertising Real Fine Data

In 2025, the ecology and environment departments and market regulation administrations of Jiangsu, Guangdong, and Zhejiang published a batch of violation penalty cases against packaging printing companies. The statistics show 3 violation types that are most common and carry the highest fines: Hazardous Waste violations, VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) emission exceedance, and False Advertising. Every print shop may step on one of these. This article breaks down the real cases and penalty standards.

Type 1: Hazardous Waste Violations - The Most Common Pitfall for Print Shops

Packaging printing companies have 4 sources of Hazardous Waste:

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• Waste ink buckets, waste solvent buckets (HW06 waste organic solvents)
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• Waste developer solution, waste fixer solution (HW16 photosensitive material waste)
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• Spent activated carbon, waste filter cotton (HW49 other waste)
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• Ink-bearing sludge (HW12 dye, coating waste)
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Real Case 1: Long-term Storage of Waste Ink Buckets, Fine 180,000 RMB

In April 2025, a packaging print shop in Dongguan, Guangdong was fined 180,000 RMB by the ecology and environment bureau. The reason: over 300 waste ink buckets were piled up in the corner of the workshop, with some buckets uncovered and ink leaking onto the floor. Inspectors opened a case on the spot, ruling that Hazardous Waste was not stored in accordance with the "Standard for Pollution Control on Hazardous Waste Storage" (GB 18597).

This print shop's mistakes:

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1. No dedicated Hazardous Waste storage room (only piled in a workshop corner)
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2. Hazardous Waste buckets without leak-proof pallets
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3. Hazardous Waste buckets without label markings
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4. No Hazardous Waste management ledger established
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Penalty basis: Article 112 of the "Law on Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Waste," penalty 100,000 to 1,000,000 RMB.

Real Case 2: Hazardous Waste Handed to Unqualified Party, Fine 350,000 RMB

In July 2025, a print shop in Wenzhou, Zhejiang handed 20 tonnes of waste ink buckets to an "informal waste collector," who resold the buckets to small workshops for refurbishment. The ecology and environment bureau traced back and found that the informal collector had no Hazardous Waste disposal qualification. The print shop was fined 350,000 RMB, and the collector faced criminal liability.

This print shop's mistake: Hazardous Waste disposal must be contracted to a party holding a "Hazardous Waste Business License" - it cannot be handed to "acquaintances" or "informal waste collectors."

3 Core Requirements for Hazardous Waste Compliance

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1. Maintain a ledger: every batch of Hazardous Waste generation, storage, transfer, and treatment must be recorded in a ledger, retained for 5 years.
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2. Sign a contract: Hazardous Waste disposal must be contracted with a unit holding a "Hazardous Waste Business License," and the qualification certificate must be obtained.
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3. Use transfer manifests: Hazardous Waste transfers must be documented on the "Hazardous Waste Transfer Manifest," which is networked nationwide and traceable by environmental authorities.
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Type 2: VOC Emission Exceedance - Air Pollution in the Printing Workshop

VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) is the main air pollutant from packaging printing companies. Sources include:

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• Solvents in ink (toluene, xylene, ethyl acetate, etc.)
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• Solvents in adhesives
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• Cleaning agents (wash water, screen wash)
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• Adhesive volatilization from the lamination process
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Real Case 1: Fugitive Workshop Emissions, Fine 120,000 RMB

In September 2025, a packaging print shop in Suzhou, Jiangsu was fined 120,000 RMB by the ecology and environment bureau. The reason: the workshop door was left wide open, and ink exhaust was discharged directly into the atmosphere without treatment. Testing showed the VOC concentration at the plant boundary exceeded the standard by 4.7 times.

This print shop's mistakes:

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1. Workshop not sealed (door left open during operation)
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2. No VOC treatment system installed (activated carbon adsorption, catalytic oxidation, RTO, etc.)
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3. No exhaust emission monitoring performed
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Penalty basis: Article 108 of the "Air Pollution Prevention and Control Law," penalty 100,000 to 1,000,000 RMB.

Real Case 2: RTO Incinerator Not Running, Fine 280,000 RMB

In November 2025, a print shop in Shenzhen, Guangdong had installed an RTO (Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer) to treat VOC, but shut it down at night when production stopped. During a nighttime unannounced inspection, the ecology and environment bureau found the RTO not operating and large amounts of VOC exhaust in the workshop. Fine: 280,000 RMB.

This print shop's mistake: VOC treatment systems such as RTO must run in sync with production; even when production stops at night, the system must remain in operation or seal the exhaust.

3 Core Requirements for VOC Compliance

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1. Enclosed workshop: workshops that generate VOC must be sealed, with exhaust collected and treated.
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2. Install treatment system: select the treatment process based on VOC emission volume (activated carbon adsorption, catalytic oxidation, RTO, CO, etc.).
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3. Periodic monitoring: conduct at least 1 VOC emission monitoring per year, and retain the monitoring report.
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Type 3: False Advertising - The Easiest Trap for Packaging Print Shops

Packaging print shop False Advertising mainly clusters in 3 categories:

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• Unsupported claims such as "food-grade" or "edible"
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• Exaggerated claims such as "eco-friendly," "biodegradable," or "recyclable"
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• Unauthorized use of "certification" marks
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Real Case 1: Unsupported "Food-Grade" Claim, Fine 80,000 RMB

In June 2025, a print shop in Zhongshan, Guangdong advertised "food-grade ink printing" on its Taobao store, but the ink supplier could not provide a food-grade test report. The market regulation administration opened a case, ruled it False Advertising, and imposed a fine of 80,000 RMB.

This print shop's mistake: "food-grade" requires a GB 4806.1 test report or a food-grade declaration from the upstream raw material supplier - it cannot be claimed casually.

Real Case 2: OK Compost Mark Used Without Authorization, Fine 150,000 RMB

In August 2025, an export-oriented print shop in Yiwu, Zhejiang printed the "OK Compost" mark on PLA lunch boxes without obtaining written authorization from TUV Austria. Reported by the TUV China representative office, the market regulation administration imposed a fine of 150,000 RMB.

This print shop's mistake: "OK Compost," "Seedling," and "FSC" are all copyrighted marks and require written authorization before use.

Real Case 3: False "Recyclable" Claim, Fine 60,000 RMB

In October 2025, a print shop in Shanghai printed a "recyclable" triangle symbol on composite film packaging, but the material could not be processed by mainstream recycling streams (it was a PET/PE composite that could not be separated). The market regulation administration ruled it False Advertising and imposed a fine of 60,000 RMB.

This print shop's mistake: a "recyclable" claim requires the material to actually be recyclable in mainstream recycling streams (PET, HDPE, PP, paper, metal, glass); composite materials cannot casually claim "recyclable."

3 Core Requirements for Advertising Compliance

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1. "Food-grade" claims require a report: upstream raw material supplier provides a food-grade declaration plus a third-party test report.
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2. "Certification marks" require authorization: FSC, OK Compost, Seedling, etc. all require written authorization.
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3. "Recyclable/biodegradable" claims require evidence: the material must actually be recyclable/biodegradable, no exaggeration.
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Penalty Amount Tiers Across the 3 Violation Types

3 Most Common Misconceptions Among Print Shop Owners

Myth 1: "Small print shops are not inspected." Over the past 3 years, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the State Administration for Market Regulation have shifted their enforcement focus down to small and medium print shops, making the inspection probability higher for small print shops.

Myth 2: "Just pay the fine, no impact on operations." Fines/penalties enter the corporate credit record and affect loans, bidding, and government procurement. In serious cases (Hazardous Waste reselling, severe VOC exceedance), criminal liability is pursued.

Myth 3: "Using acquaintances for Hazardous Waste is cheaper." Disposing of Hazardous Waste through unqualified parties means both sides bear responsibility if something goes wrong. Print shop owners may personally be added to the dishonesty list, affecting their children's schooling and travel abroad.

3 Self-Check Lists for Print Shop Compliance

List 1: Hazardous Waste self-check. Is there a dedicated Hazardous Waste storage room? Are there leak-proof pallets? Are contracts signed and transfer manifests used? Is a management ledger established?

List 2: VOC self-check. Is the workshop sealed? Is there a VOC treatment system? Does the system run in sync with production? Is annual emission monitoring performed?

List 3: Advertising self-check. Is there a report for the food-grade claim? Is there authorization for certification marks? Is there evidence for the recyclable/biodegradable claim?

FAQ

Common questions have been organized in the FAQ section.

Further Reading

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• 3 Hard Targets for Packaging Printing VOC Treatment: Protect Worker Health First, Then Environmental Compliance
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• 5 Years Into the New Solid Waste Law, Packaging Print Shops Are Still Exposed: 3 Fine Traps That Catch Owners Most Easily
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• 3 Hard Targets for Occupational Health in Packaging Printing: VOC / Noise / Dust
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