Plastic levy scheme sees more shoppers bringing own bags: survey

A grocery and a Chinese herbal shop became the first retailers fined HK$2,000 each for giving out plastic bags to consumers without charging them 50 cents.

The expanded mandatory levy scheme entered a new stage yesterday after a one-month grace period ended. Environmental Protection Department officers now no longer give verbal warnings before enforcing the law against retailers who fail to collect the charge. Offenders risk a fixed fine and even prosecution.

A department spokeswoman said last night that fixed penalty notices had been issued to the two stores, among the 122 retail points it inspected yesterday.

Meanwhile, a study by an environmental group found more consumers were now bringing their own bags.

Among the 884 sales observed by Greeners Action in various areas on Thursday, only 24 per cent of consumers received plastic bags - a drop of 11 percentage points compared with a previous study on April 1, the day the new law came into effect.

The latest study found 72 per cent either brought their own shopping bags or took away goods without a bag, an increase of eight percentage points.