The work aims to study the environmental pollution, resource waste and indirect energy consumption in China caused by express packaging materials, and put forward countermeasures combined with current law and regulation system. A life cycle assessment of express packaging materials was conducted according to the data collection and field research, and the current laws, regulations and policies were teased out based on the literature review and market research. In 2017, the global warming potential of the three express packaging materials (corrugated box, plastic bag and tape) was equivalent to the amount of greenhouse gases from generating 1.58×1010 kW?h electricity by coal-fired power plants. The amount accounted for approximately 0.24% of China's total electricity generation in 2017, or 20% of the electricity by biomass. The global warming potential, together with the energy consumption in the life cycles of the express packaging materials, accounted for 1.12% of China's total electricity generation in 2017, equivalent to 92% of biomass-based electricity generation. In their life cycles, the production and use phases consumed nearly 79% energy. According to the current research on the law and regulation system of express packaging industry, the management system of express packaging industry in China is incomplete. Based on the data analysis of life cycle assessment, the energy consumption and environmental pollution problems of express packaging materials need urgent attention.