THE Conservancy Association welcomes the educational initiative of the Environmental Protection Department, the Retail Management Association and the Consumer Council, in order to try and re-educate consumers regarding plastic bags.
The problem of plastic waste is particularly serious in Hong Kong. About 17 per cent of our waste comprises plastic products, almost two times that of other cities. Plastic bag waste constitutes about seven per cent - in weight terms - of the waste stream, meaning that, numerically, there are probably more plastic bags than any other items in the landfill. They are light and take up a lot of landfill space.
The main cause of this waste is the provision of free plastic bags. Consumers get into the habit of taking a plastic bag from a retailer whenever they shop. They do not bother to think about the cumulative effect that this will have on the environment. The plastic bag is one of the most common forms of marine refuse. It pollutes our harbour and beaches and endangers marine life. Also, the additives used in the manufacturing and printing on the bags, generally contain toxic chemicals and metals which may also pollute a marine environment located near a landfill.
The association appreciates the value of educational initiatives, but we also need to address the root cause of the problem. Both the production and environmental costs of plastic bags should be borne by the users, that is, the retailers and the consumers. For example, in many other countries, plastic bags must be purchased for 50 cents to HK$1. Such a charge will reduce the unnecessary use of plastic bags.
Even with a charge, there is bound to be some use of plastic bags. However the revenue gained could be used to subsidise re-cycling of plastic bags, or to promote environmentally friendly substitutes (for example, durable shopping bags).
The strategy employed should aim at removing the incentive to abuse plastic bags and providing an incentive to use alternatives.