BEING naturally concerned about the environment we live in I was very pleased to see that the big stores in Hong Kong have started a campaign to try to get consumers to use fewer plastic bags. After visiting a number of supermarkets, stores, etc, recently, I wonder if the management have told their staff that their company is involved in this initiative. The checkout staff look at me with total horror when I say that I don't require a plastic bag. Perhaps it might be an idea for the stores to follow The Body Shop's footsteps and ask customers if they really need a bag, before automatically reaching for one. In the UK if a customer re-uses a bag or brings his own, he is given a discount for every bag re-used. Plastic bags in Hong Kong are a way of life, perhaps a money incentive is the only way to re-educate people. D. BARTON Sai Kung
