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More consumers are reusing bags. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

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.

Fanny Fung

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.

The remaining four per cent took paper bags offered by retailers, up from one per cent a month ago. Eight per cent of shops were found to breach the law by giving out plastic bags without collecting a charge, the latest exercise found. These included news stands, groceries, pharmacies and sports shops. The figure was five percentage points down from the previous study.

The green group said it was glad to see more Hongkongers opting not to take a plastic bag, but warned that some shops were still ignoring the law or abusing exemptions, for example when it came to giving out bags for loose food products.

"We hope businesses will adopt corporate social responsibility and reduce the use of plastic bags for the sustainability of our environment," said Angus Ho Hon-wai, chief executive of Greeners Action.

The levy scheme, which previously targeted some 3,000 shops including supermarket chains, convenience stores and department stores, was extended to cover all types of shops on April 1.

 

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: First shops fined for flouting plastic bag levy
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