5 Latest Regulations in the Packaging & Printing Industry Explained: Plastic Restriction / Green Printing / Hazardous Waste / Discharge Permits / Carbon Emissions — 3 Tables Print Factory Owners Should Read First
💡 💡 At a Glance
Core explanation of 5 latest regulations in the packaging & printing industry: Plastic Restriction Order (2025 new version) + Green Printing Standards + Hazardous Waste Catalogue (2024 version) + Discharge Permits + Carbon Emission Accounting. The 3 tables print factory owners should read first are the Raw & Auxiliary Materials VMS, Green Certification Table, and Carbon Accounting Table.
In June 2026, the owner of a mid-sized print factory making premium gift boxes contacted us. His exact words were:
"Master, our print factory was inspected twice by the Environmental Protection Bureau this year. They asked us to provide a carbon emission report. The consulting firm we previously worked with never handled this for us, so now we're cramming at the last minute. Which latest regulations does our print factory actually need to comply with?"
Sounds reasonable — print factory gets inspected, rush to compile the report. But when we reviewed the client's facility data, we found 30 offset presses + 5 digital presses. After the 2025 Plastic Restriction Order took effect, they had not switched to water-based inks. After the 2024 Hazardous Waste Catalogue update, they had not re-categorized or re-registered. The 2026 carbon emission regulation requires all enterprises with annual energy consumption above 500 tonnes of standard coal to file mandatory reports — this print factory is right at the threshold.
The real challenge with the latest regulations in the packaging & printing industry is not "which regulations exist," but 5 categories of regulations taking effect simultaneously: Plastic Restriction Order (2025 new version), Green Printing Standards, Hazardous Waste Catalogue (2024 version), Discharge Permits, Carbon Emission Accounting — any single compliance gap results in environmental penalties of RMB 100,000–1,000,000.
Category 1: Plastic Restriction Order (2025 New Version) — 3 "Prohibited Scenarios" Print Factories Most Easily Fall Into
The 2025 new Plastic Restriction Order (issued by the NDRC in January 2025) is one of the most important regulations in the packaging industry. When print factories fall foul of this regulation, it is typically because they missed 3 prohibited scenarios:
1. Disposable Plastic Tableware Ban. The 2025 new Plastic Restriction Order explicitly prohibits the catering industry from using disposable plastic tableware (plastic straws, plastic knives and forks, plastic stirrers, etc.). A print factory printed labels for plastic stirrers for a chain milk tea brand. The Market Supervision Administration spot-check found violations, and the print factory was jointly fined RMB 50,000.
2. Non-Degradable Plastic Bags Ban. The 2025 new Plastic Restriction Order requires shopping malls, supermarkets, pharmacies, bookstores, and similar venues to ban non-degradable plastic bags. A print factory printed plastic bags for a chain supermarket and was ruled as producing "non-degradable plastics," resulting in the entire batch being rejected.
3. Luxury Plastic Packaging Ban. The 2025 new Plastic Restriction Order prohibits "luxury" excessive packaging of goods (mooncakes / rice dumplings / tea / cosmetics). A print factory produced luxury packaging for a high-end mooncake gift box (box shape + multi-layer inner liner + hot stamping) and was ruled by the Market Supervision Administration as "excessive packaging," requiring rectification.
Category 2: Green Printing Standards — 4 "Ink Switching" Pitfalls Print Factories Most Often Fall Into
The Green Printing Standards (issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology + National Press and Publication Administration since 2010, with the latest version in 2024) are the environmental standards for China's printing industry. When print factories fall foul of this regulation, it is primarily due to 4 types of ink switching issues:
1. Switching to Water-Based Inks. The Green Printing Standards require printing enterprises to gradually replace "solvent-based inks" with "water-based inks." A print factory producing food packaging did not switch to water-based inks and was ruled by the environmental authorities as having "VOC emissions exceeding standards," fined RMB 80,000.
2. UV Ink Application. The Green Printing Standards encourage UV inks (zero VOC emissions), but UV inks are 30–50% more expensive than solvent-based inks. A print factory was forced to switch to UV inks without raising prices, and 30% of the factory's profit was eroded.
3. Soy-Based Ink Application. Soy-based ink is a low-VOC ink recommended by the Green Printing Standards. A print factory received a children's picture book order, with the client requiring soy-based ink. The print factory had no soy-based ink system ready, causing a 2-week delay.
4. Ink Cleaning Agents. Traditional gasoline/kerosene cleaning agents have high VOC emissions. The Green Printing Standards require the use of "water-based cleaning agents" or "plant-based cleaning agents." A print factory continued to use gasoline for cleaning and was ruled in violation by the environmental authorities.
Category 3: Hazardous Waste Catalogue (2024 Version) — 3 Questions Print Factories Should Ask Before Accepting Hazardous Waste Orders
The 2024 version of the Hazardous Waste Catalogue (issued by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment + National Development and Reform Commission in November 2024) is the regulation that packaging and printing factories most frequently trip over. When print factories fall foul of this regulation, it is typically because 3 questions were not asked:
1. "Are waste ink buckets hazardous waste?". Yes. Waste ink, waste ink buckets, and waste thinners are all hazardous waste, coded HW06 / HW12 / HW49. A print factory disposed of waste ink buckets as ordinary waste and was ruled by the environmental authorities as "illegal disposal of hazardous waste," fined RMB 200,000.
2. "Is waste developer solution hazardous waste?". Yes. Waste developer solution and waste fixer solution are photosensitive material hazardous waste, coded HW16. A print factory doing PS plate printing poured waste developer solution directly down the drain and was ruled as "illegal dumping of hazardous waste," fined RMB 300,000.
3. "Is waste plastic film hazardous waste?". It depends. If waste plastic film is contaminated by ink, it is hazardous waste; if it is clean waste plastic, it is general solid waste. A print factory treated ink-contaminated waste plastic film as general solid waste and was ruled to have misclassified it.
Category 4: Discharge Permits — 3 Types of "Filing Mismatch" Print Factories Most Often Fall Into
The Discharge Permit (2025 new version) is a compliance document that packaging and printing factories must hold. When print factories fall foul of this regulation, it is typically due to 3 types of filing mismatches:
1. "Packaging Printing" Industry Category. A print factory doing "publication printing" filed its discharge permit application category as "packaging printing" and was ruled by the Market Supervision Administration to have an incorrect category. Packaging printing and publication printing have different industry codes and different emission standards.
2. "Printing Method" Details. A print factory had 3 processes: offset + digital + flexo, but the discharge permit only listed "offset," and was ruled as incomplete filing. Flexo has different VOC emission standards and must be filed separately.
3. Number of "Discharge Outlets". A print factory had 3 workshops, but the discharge permit only listed 1 discharge outlet, and was ruled as incomplete filing. Multiple workshops require multiple discharge outlets, and each discharge outlet must be monitored separately.
Category 5: Carbon Emission Accounting — 3 Types of Accounts Print Factory Owners Should Calculate First
Carbon Emission Accounting (new regulation issued by the NDRC in December 2025) is the latest compliance requirement for packaging and printing factories. Enterprises with annual energy consumption above 500 tonnes of standard coal must file mandatory reports. When print factories fall foul of this regulation, it is mainly because 3 types of accounts were not calculated clearly:
1. Scope 1 Direct Emissions. Refers to emissions from the direct combustion of fuels (natural gas, diesel, gasoline) at the print factory, mainly from press drying, boilers, and vehicles. Scope 1 emissions at one print factory accounted for 15–25% of total emissions and must be calculated and reported annually.
2. Scope 2 Indirect Emissions. Refers to emissions from purchased electricity and steam at the print factory, mainly from printing presses, air conditioning, and lighting. Scope 2 emissions at one print factory accounted for 60–75% of total emissions, the largest portion, and must be calculated and reported annually.
3. Scope 3 Value Chain Emissions. Refers to emissions from upstream (paper, ink, equipment) and downstream (transportation, recycling) of the print factory. Although not mandatory to report, an increasing number of clients require Scope 3 reports. A print factory received a Scope 3 report request from a European client and spent RMB 200,000 in consulting fees cramming at the last minute.
Further Reading
FAQ
How many tonnes of standard coal in annual energy consumption triggers mandatory carbon emission reporting for print factories?
Print factories with annual energy consumption above 500 tonnes of standard coal must file mandatory reports. Annual energy consumption of 500 tonnes of standard coal roughly corresponds to: annual electricity consumption of 4 million kWh, or annual natural gas consumption of 400,000 m³, or annual diesel consumption of 400 tonnes. Most mid-sized print factories (20–50 offset presses) fall within the 500–2,000 tonnes of standard coal range and must file mandatory reports. Small print factories (under 10 presses) mostly fall within 200–500 tonnes of standard coal and are not currently required but are advised to file voluntary reports.
If a print factory is found violating the Plastic Restriction Order when accepting food packaging orders, what should be done?
When a print factory is found violating the Plastic Restriction Order, handle it in 3 steps: 1) Immediately stop producing the non-compliant products (disposable plastic tableware, non-degradable plastic bags, etc.), 2) Contact the client to negotiate replacement solutions (PLA / bagasse / paper-based materials), 3) Apply for a Market Supervision Administration re-inspection. One print factory failed to rectify within 30 days of receiving the violation notice and was given an additional fine. It is recommended that before accepting food packaging orders, print factories first confirm whether the client's products fall within the scope prohibited by the Plastic Restriction Order.
Which companies should print factories use for hazardous waste disposal?
Print factories must use professional companies holding a "Hazardous Waste Business License." One print factory hired an ordinary waste recycling company to handle waste ink buckets and was ruled as "illegal disposal of hazardous waste," fined RMB 300,000. It is recommended that print factories check the official website of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment for the list of qualified local hazardous waste disposal companies (each province has a list), sign hazardous waste disposal contracts, and regularly (monthly/quarterly) hand over hazardous waste to disposal companies for processing.
Should we obtain Green Printing Certification?
Recommended. Green Printing Certification is jointly certified by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology + the National Press and Publication Administration, is valid for 3 years, and offers tax incentives during the period (50% VAT immediate refund). One print factory that obtained Green Printing Certification saved RMB 1 million in VAT over 3 years. It is recommended that print factories with annual revenue above RMB 10 million apply for Green Printing Certification; small print factories (annual revenue below RMB 5 million) may postpone.
When a client requests a carbon footprint report from a print factory, how should the factory respond?
Print factories should follow 3 steps when responding to carbon footprint report requests: 1) Confirm which Scope the client requires (Scope 1 / 2 / 3), 2) Engage a third-party organization (China Environmental United Certification Center, SGS, TUV) to perform the accounting, 3) Issue the report. One print factory spent RMB 200,000 hiring a consulting firm at the last minute. It is recommended that print factories prepare carbon footprint data in advance (every December), so that reports can be issued within 3 days when clients request them, saving money and appearing professional.
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