Legislators want the Government to explore the feasibility of banning styrofoam lunch boxes, but Secretary for Environment and Food Lily Yam Kwan Pui-ying said she was opposed to prohibition at this stage.
'We need to strike a balance between environmental protection and economic effectiveness,' Mrs Yam said.
Tam Yiu-chung of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB), who moved the motion, said even the mainland had banned such material. He quoted a DAB survey showing most respondents supported a ban. He also urged businesses to reduce their use of non-biodegradable plastic bags.
Lee Cheuk-yan, of the Confederation of Trade Unions, sponsored an amendment to urge the Government not merely to explore the possibility but to legislate to prohibit the use of styrofoam lunch boxes and restrict the use of plastic bags.
He said that the recycling industry could create about 2,000 jobs.
His amendment failed when the Liberal Party and the Progressive Alliance voted against and the DAB abstained.