Though environmental consciousness became fashionable throughout
the world in the 1990s, only in the past two years has what China
refers to as “green consumption” become prevalent.
With the aim of catering to ecological needs and guaranteeing
consumers’ health, green consumption involves all forms of consumer
behavior and models that are good for people’s health and the
protection of the environment. According to the universally
recognized definition, green consumption features the saving of
resources, less pollution, an environmentally friendly lifestyle
and the purchase of environmentally friendly commodities, reusable
goods, and categorized collection and recycling of waste materials,
in order to protect nature and the coexistence of all species of
life.
Green consumption is an entirely new lifestyle and consumer model
for the majority of Chinese people. Nevertheless, it is a practical
choice that is expected to be a permanent cure for today’s
worrisome situation of resources verging on exhaustion and severe
environmental deterioration. Starting from concerns about
environmental protection, health and consumers’ tolerance, it
focuses on rectifying the end link of economic operation, in order
to reverse the current unfavorable situation in regard to
protecting the environment, ecology and China’s resources.
Last January, the Chinese Consumers’ Association (CCA) decided to
focus its work in 2001 on “green consumption.” On the International
Day of Consumers’ Rights and Interests, which fell on March 15,
publicity and promotion of green consumption reached its first
climax nationwide. In addition, the CCA launched a month-long
“anti-falsehood campaign,” which concentrated on cracking down on
false advertisements and other lawless promotions related to food,
beverages, health products, cosmetics, building materials and
materials for interior decoration.
Last May, the Ministry of Health announced a ban on the sale of
“green rice,” which is colored using natural or man-made dyes.
China’s existing Standard for the Use of Food Additives makes
clear-cut stipulations on the varieties of edible dyes and the
scope for their application. On this basis, anyone wanting to use
dyes not covered by the stipulations must apply for approval from
the health administrative departments of the State Council in
advance. Because the rules do not stipulate that edible dyes can be
used to color rice, officials with the Ministry of Health said that
using the dyes is illegal.
Targeting the increasingly severe environmental pollution caused by
the use of plastic polystyrene products, the State Economic and
Trade Commission this past June ordered catering enterprises across
China to suspend using plastic polystyrene dinnerware immediately.
The China Restaurants’ Association also urged restaurants and
catering enterprises throughout the country to actively respond to
the State’s call. Before that, the State Economic and Trade
Commission issued a circular in January 1999, requiring that the
use of throwaway polystyrene plastic dinnerware be totally
eliminated before the end of 2000, due to severe problems in its
production, utilization and collection. A large amount of this type
of product, however, is still in wide use in the catering sector
nowadays.
Owing to China’s current harsh ecological and environmental
situation, plus the relatively low development level of its
productive forces, the country faces more difficulties in promoting
green consumption. On the one hand, environmental protection and
health friendly consumption are energetically advocated; on the
other hand, the environment is increasingly deteriorating and
harmful products are prevalent on the market.
Surely, the promotion of green consumption is an arduous task. It
demands joint effort by three parties to transform green
consumption from a fashionable trend to a voluntary choice by each
person and then to a dominant consumer model for all of
society.
Manufacturers’ Tasks: Quality green products and development of a
market are imperative for green consumption. But, the current
situation falls short of people’s expectations. Unreasonable
commercial promotion of the “green” concept, plus the production
and sale of counterfeit and shoddy goods by a handful of lawless
people, have made green products nothing more than a source of
confusion. Green consumption has provided a totally new platform of
competition for enterprises. According to Ding Xiangwen, deputy
director of China Green Food Development Center, producers who want
to seize a critical opportunity in market competition must fully
estimate the profound changes in the market as a result of this new
consumer model. For instance, the price of green food on average is
currently 15 percent higher than non-green food, with the biggest
difference reaching as high as 70 percent. Despite this, the supply
of most brand name green food falls short of demand. Under such
circumstances, food producers should immediately include the
development of green food in their development strategies and, on
this basis, actively and effectively press ahead with marketing
work, thus gaining a remarkable superiority over their rivals and
swiftly occupying their anticipated market shares.
Consumers’ Duties: They must develop an entirely new consumer
mentality. Director Ding Shihe of the Department of Direction of
the Chinese Consumers’ Association maintains that consumers should
be motivated by green consumption. It is of vital importance for
green consumption to be rooted in people’s minds. In addition to
the main theme of protecting the environment and health, frugality
and respect for nature are also a significant part of green
consumption. This contrasts sharply with the outdated idea of
pursuing luxuriously high consumption. Rather green consumption
should be the ultimate objective of subsistence and the supreme
value of life.
Sun Li from the China Construction and Building Materials Society
said green consumption, as a new consumer mentality, is full of
meaning that requires consumers to be armed with knowledge. Only
after learning about green consumption, can this new consumer
mentality be established and the capacity to discern counterfeit
goods be enhanced.
Government’s Responsibilities: Market supervision and regulation is
absolutely necessary. In regard to macro-control, the government
should formulate general policies related to green consumption in
light of the demands of sustainable development, and consistently
perfect legislation. As for concrete works, the government is bound
to direct the formulation of relevant standards for green products,
cultivate intermediate agencies, regulate market order, crack down
on illegal practices and protect consumers’ interests.
According to related surveys, green products currently account for
half of the commodities available on the German market. Eighty
percent of Americans are ready to pay 5 percent more for green
products and 50 percent are ready to pay even 15 percent more. So
green consumption is widely accepted worldwide. China’s green
consumption is just getting started. Currently in China, the total
supply of green food amounts to 11 million tons, making up only
one-thousandth of aggregate food output. In promoting green
consumption, China still shoulders heavy responsibilities for the
future.
(Beijing
Review No. 32, 2001)