Breaking Out with the '4G' Flywheel! Revealing Zhongrong Co.'s Secret to Green Development
Driven by the twin forces of the 'dual carbon' policy and the consumer market's green upgrade, the printing and packaging industry is bidding farewell to traditional, extensive development models. Green, low-carbon, and recyclable practices have moved from being mere compliance requirements to becoming core competitive advantages for companies. Zhongrong Printing Group Co., Ltd. (hereafter Zhongrong Co.) has been deeply involved in the printing and packaging industry for over thirty years, and by aligning with the trend of green transformation in the industry, it has carved out a unique path of innovation.
From breaking through individual technologies to building a systematic green and sustainable innovation model, Zhongrong Co. uses the '4G' concept-Green Design, Green Material, Green Operation, and Green Energy-as the lever for sustainable development, creating an interconnected and mutually empowering innovation system.
"4G" Concept Diagram
Green Design: Defining the environmental DNA of packaging from the start
About 80% of a product's environmental impact over its lifecycle comes from the design stage. Zhongrong Co., Ltd. follows the 4R1D principle in green design: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Renewable, and Degradable, pushing for environmental upgrades right from the design phase.
In the creative design process, Zhongrong actively explores AI technology, using algorithms to quickly match customer needs with low-carbon solutions, cutting down on communication costs and reducing the number of prototypes. Several breakthrough solutions in product design are particularly impressive.
For example, 100% recycled paper premium packaging makes high-end packaging without consuming virgin pulp; demolding-free comprehensive solutions tackle the recycling issues brought by traditional lamination; memory honeycomb paper trays reduce storage and shipping volume by about 85%, lowering the environmental footprint in logistics; lightweight and miniaturized solutions reduce packaging material usage, achieving carbon reduction from the very start.
4R1D Principle Diagram
Green Materials: A Fully Eco-Friendly Base
Materials are the DNA of packaging. Zhongrong Co., Ltd. has developed a full range of products based on eco-friendly paper materials, building a solid foundation for green production on the material side.
In terms of material compliance, Zhongrong now achieves full coverage with eco-friendly materials, all meeting REACH, RoHS, and China Environmental Label certifications. At the same time, Zhongrong actively promotes the move away from plastics. Through the development of coating materials and process innovations, paper-based packaging can truly become recyclable.
Regarding recycled materials, they've built a closed loop of "recycling-processing-reproduction." They strengthen certifications like GRS (Global Recycled Standard), PCR (Post-Consumer Recycled), and ISCC, pushing the use of a single recyclable material. In production, recycled paper accounts for over 30% of usage.
Green Operations: An efficiency revolution driven by intelligent manufacturing
If green design and green materials are about "doing the right thing," then green operations are about "doing the right thing." Zhongrong Co., Ltd. is built on AI intelligence as its foundation, creating an efficient, low-carbon, and transparent production and operation system, achieving quality, efficiency, and emission reduction through intelligent upgrades.
In terms of intelligent manufacturing layout, Zhongrong Co., Ltd. adapts to different customer needs through four major printing platforms: digital printing, offset printing, flexographic printing, and gravure printing. Among them, the Zhongshan factory was recognized by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in 2018 as a "Pilot Demonstration Project for Intelligent Manufacturing of High-end Paper Product Packaging," making it one of the first national-level intelligent manufacturing demonstration enterprises in the industry.
Entering the production workshop, the industry's largest single-level warehouse enables unmanned operation, automatically completing batching, scheduling, and conveying, reducing errors in receiving and dispatching. At the same time, automated logistics has increased overall production efficiency by more than 15%.
In terms of carbon management, Zhongrong Co., Ltd. is one of the few companies in the industry to have made the CDP A-level list, consistently ranking among the global environmental performance leaders for two consecutive years. All four major production bases have implemented ISO14064 greenhouse gas verification system, verified by third parties, and carbon emission data continues to decline. In 2024, Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions were reduced by 15.8% compared to 2022.
The treatment of the three wastes (waste gas, wastewater, and waste) is managed in three stages. Gradually eliminate high VOC raw materials at the source; In process control, a sealed micro-negative pressure workshop is built to suppress exhaust gas diffusion; In end-of-pipe treatment, collection and treatment devices linked to production equipment are equipped. The three-stage control system ensures 100% compliance with the three wastes emission standards, reducing solid waste by 1,200 tons annually and saving 4.2 million kWh of electricity.
In terms of green supply chain extension, Zhongrong Co., Ltd. has integrated environmental management across all stages. Upstream suppliers are prioritized for environmental certification; midstream collaborates with customers to optimize packaging solutions; downstream promotes lightweight and circular logistics; and end-end customers jointly establish packaging recycling channels.
Green Energy: Using Sunshine to Accelerate Carbon Reduction
Green energy is the core driver of the low-carbon transition. Zhongrong Co. is pushing forward the energy revolution across its production bases, significantly reducing energy dependence through measures like photovoltaic installations and equipment energy-saving upgrades, using green energy to speed up carbon reduction.
Currently, Zhongrong Co. has built five photovoltaic stations, with electricity generation exceeding 7.29 million kWh in 2024 and annual carbon reduction surpassing 3,909 tons of CO₂ equivalent. Take the Zhongshan production base as an example: by installing a solar photovoltaic system, it reduces more than 2,000 tons of carbon emissions annually, equivalent to planting 100,000 trees.
Beyond photovoltaics, Zhongrong Co. is exploring energy-saving opportunities in more ways. For instance, optimizing the water-cooling system of printing machines to improve heat dissipation efficiency; installing a central geothermal heat pump system to lower energy consumption using geothermal energy; recovering residual heat through a thermal energy recovery system; and establishing an electricity monitoring system to manage every kilowatt in real time. Energy-saving measures and monitoring are implemented for air conditioning, lighting, and major energy-consuming facilities, saving more than 15% of energy on average each year.
Efficient use of green energy further amplifies the value of the 4G innovation flywheel. Green energy provides low-carbon power for green operations; improved energy efficiency in green operations feeds back into optimizing green design; and the eco-friendliness of green materials gains greater carbon reduction value under the support of green energy.
Zhongrong Co., Ltd. Photovoltaic Base Stations
Zhongrong Co., Ltd.'s green innovation practices have gained high recognition from authoritative institutions both at home and abroad, becoming a benchmark for green development in the industry. Domestically, Zhongrong Co., Ltd. has been awarded honors such as National Green Factory and National Green Supply Chain Management Enterprise. Its subsidiaries, Zhongshan Zhongrong and Tianjin Zhongrong, were both selected for the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's "Green Packaging Factory" list. Internationally, it has appeared on the CDP A-list for two consecutive years, maintaining its position as a leader in global environmental performance; it has won multiple awards from the global corporate social responsibility platform EcoVadis; and it has passed international system certifications like ISO14064, ISO27001, and FSC.
From tackling individual technological challenges to a systematic '4G' innovation model, Zhongrong Co.'s innovation practice shows that green sustainability isn't a cost burden-it's a growth engine driven by innovation.
In the face of an uncertain external environment, Zhongrong's approach is clear and determined. They stick to the concept of eco-friendly packaging, set carbon neutrality goals and roadmaps. By boosting supply chain efficiency through digital and green innovation and deepening the '4G' innovation flywheel, they work with brand clients to shape a low-carbon future, leading the printing and packaging industry toward a new level of sustainable development.