Letters | Hong Kong’s war on plastics poised to get four times stronger
- With more plastic bottles dumped every day, a new strategy developed by the ‘Drink Without Waste’ initiative will tackle the problem on four fronts
Pilot schemes launched by some producers a few years ago brought no improvement. The daily disposal of plastic bottles increased from 60 tonnes to 158 tonnes between 2006 and 2016. The disposal of liquid cartons amounted to 83 tonnes a day in 2016.
Green groups continuously campaign for the reduction of single-use plastic, including plastic bottled water, liquid cartons and disposable cutlery, aiming to put pressure on producers and the government to address the plastic pollution crisis.
Recognising the serious environmental impacts, the group branded its initiative “Drink Without Waste” and commissioned a study to look into global solutions that fit Hong Kong. Based on the findings, the group earlier this month announced four holistic strategies and actions, from reduction to recycling.
Next, we must redesign packaging to make it eco-friendly and easier to recycle. The group will come up with criteria that the government could eventually turn into regulation.
Third, the focus will be on recovering single-use packaging by implementing a cash-on-return scheme. Monetary incentives to return plastic bottles and liquid cartons are likely to boost recovery rates.
Announcing these strategies is just the first step in the journey of improving the city’s environment via regulatory and business-led measures. We will all need to contribute our efforts towards reducing the disposable waste suffocating the environment.
Edwin Lau Che-feng, executive director, The Green Earth