There has been a lot of debate in Hong Kong about plastic bags versus the reusable variety.
I try to always take a reusable bag when I go shopping. People at bakeries and fast food outlets give me a look of curious interest when I do not take free plastic bags. At these places, they are still legal and supplied in large quantities.
In addition, I make sure not to take any plastic cutlery or wooden chopsticks when I get a takeout meal.
I am all for a plastic bag levy, which has been in place in my home country Germany for decades. Nevertheless, it seems the government in Hong Kong is not looking closely at the developments in this area and many people are not aware of the different plastic bags available. Virgin plastic bags and recycled plastic bags will degrade only after hundreds of years.
Oxo biodegradable bags are made with chemical additives. These inexplicably are promoted in Hong Kong as biodegradable.
When they degrade in landfills, they emit the chemical additives back into the ground, poisoning our ground and water supplies.
Starch-based biodegradable bags are 100 per cent compostable, but prohibitively expensive, depend on the food chain and have a limited shelf life.
