Hong Kong supermarkets dishing out clear plastic bags often with little regard for levy, green group survey finds
- Greeners Action investigated 20 supermarkets, including chains Wellcome and ParknShop, and found retailers often did not charge 50 HK cents levy
- Some shoppers were grabbing several of the clear bags at once to take home, group found
A local green group has called on Hong Kong supermarkets to impose stricter controls on consumers’ use of clear handleless plastic bags after its survey found at least a third are given to shoppers for free.
Greeners Action investigated 20 supermarkets, including chains Wellcome and ParknShop, in Tsuen Wan, Tai Po, Wan Chai, Kowloon Tong, Lam Tin and Yuen Long between July and September and found retailers often did not charge shoppers the mandated 50 HK cents levy for plastic bags.
“Our investigation found 30 per cent of the bags are illegally given out, so supermarkets need to be more proactive in controlling them,” said Vicki Wong Pui-chi, the conservation group’s senior public affairs officer.
A ParknShop-operated Taste supermarket in Tsuen Wan was among the worst offenders, dishing out 174 out of 444 of bags without charge.
Under the levy, shoppers are charged for plastic bags unless they are used for food hygiene reasons or the packaging of unwrapped fresh produce or frozen or cold items, or provided with services.
However, the regulations do not limit the number of bags which can be used for the exempted purposes. “This is a loophole which allows a shopper to use one bag for one orange if they want to,” Wong said.