Illustrations: Peter C. Espina/GT

It is mooncake season again! Mid-Autumn festival, the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese calendar, falls on September 13 this year. Most Chinese families enjoy mooncakes under the light of the full moon on this festive occasion. The traditional cake packaging, however, has ruffled many feathers because of overuse of packaging material. Some mooncakes are packed in several boxes and costly materials, not only pushing up prices to absurd levels, but also resulting in waste of resources. According to a report released by China Consumers Association, 23.8 percent of Chinese customers consider over-packaging of mooncakes a major problem. To curb excessive packaging, the administration for market regulation of Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province, started a special operation from August 26 to September 12. Many netizens suggested a nationwide drive and some even called for action against excessive packaging in other industries. After all, Chinese consumers need a Mid-Autumn festival with tasty mooncakes, and not gaudy boxes.