The first stage: from the 1970s to the mid-1980s, "packaging waste recycling" said that at this stage, it is the main direction to treat packaging waste in the same way and reduce environmental pollution. During this period, the earliest law promulgated was the "Standard for Disposal of Military Packaging Wastes" of the United States, and the legislative focus of Denmark 1984 was the recycling of packaging materials for beverage packaging. China has also promulgated 1996 "Treatment and Utilization of Packaging Waste".
The second stage: from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s, the theory of "3R, 1D" was put forward. At this stage, the US Environmental Protection Department put forward three opinions on packaging waste. ① Minimize packaging, and do not use or use less packaging; ② Try to recycle commodity packaging containers; ③ For materials and containers that cannot be recycled, biodegradable materials should be used. At the same time, many European countries have put forward their own packaging laws and regulations, emphasizing that packaging manufacturers and users must pay attention to the coordination between packaging and environment.
The third stage: the theory of "LCA" in the middle and late 1990s. LCA (Life Cycle Analysis), namely "Life Cycle Analysis" method. Known as "from cradle to grave", the analysis technology takes the whole process of packaging products from raw material extraction to final waste treatment as the research object, makes quantitative analysis and comparison, and evaluates the environmental performance of packaging products. This method is comprehensive, systematic and scientific, which has been recognized by people and exists as an important subsystem in ISO 14000.