Report on plastic waste management in Hong Kong recommends banning single-use plastics in next three years
- Council for Sustainable Development releases report after public consultation that involved 2,600 participants and 9.400 submissions
- Doubling levy for plastic shopping bags and ban on free umbrella covers are among 24 recommendations
Hong Kong should increase the shopping bag levy and ban the sale and distribution of single-use plastics within three years, according to government environment advisers who have made recommendations to overhaul the management of the waste.
The Council for Sustainable Development released 24 suggestions on Thursday, including increasing the levy for plastic shopping bags from 50 cents to HK$1 or HK$2 (25 US cents).
It also recommended banning the free distribution of single-use plastic products, such as umbrella covers, and banning the sale and distribution of single-use plastics within three years.
The council made such suggestions in hopes of changing Hong Kong’s “throwaway culture”, said Jonathan Wong Woon-chung, chairman of the council’s strategy subcommittee, at a press conference.
The proposed regulations would cover both conventional petroleum-based plastics and the new generation of so-called biodegradable or compostable plastics, Wong added, explaining that it might be difficult for residents to distinguish the two.