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)