Long-term zero-waste plan needed to ensure our beaches stay clean

The marine litter situation in Hong Kong has been worsening for years, and it seems now it has reached a tipping point, with global media shining a spotlight on our shorelines. And while the long weekend in Hong Kong (July 1-3) was marred by a torrent of plastic and domestic waste that turned the coastal waters into a virtual cesspool, with beaches piled high with trash, and media is reporting it as though it’s never been seen before, this is commonplace, especially at this time of year.

The public outcry from concerned citizens is new. And it’s about time.

We should all start taking more serious action to clean up our act. There must be no more blame games and no more finger-pointing.

It is high time we all took responsibility for our consumption habits.

For 15 years, we have submitted reports with data our teams have collected during the annual Hong Kong Cleanup Challenge, sharing the types and proportions of trash collected from our shorelines and natural ecosystems by volunteer teams from local companies, schools, NGOs, the government, families and individuals.

Each year, we highlight the vital importance of upstream source reduction, zero-waste solutions, and strategic government action.

A long-term zero-waste plan could be initiated, and the banning of certain single-use plastics should be considered. Other municipalities around the world have set positive examples.