China News Service, April 15. According to the Hong Kong Ta Kung Pao report, the Hong Kong Sustainable Development Committee submitted a report to the SAR government on the 14th and put forward 24 recommendations, including banning the sale of disposable plastic tableware, and the charge for shopping plastic bags from the current 5 cents (angles). Raise it to 1 yuan or 2 yuan, and prohibit the distribution of disposable plastic products such as umbrella bags to the public for free.
The committee believes that banning the sale of some disposable plastic products that will be distributed to the public for free is not the most effective control method. It is recommended that the SAR government explore the prohibition of free distribution, including umbrella bags, hotel toiletries, etc., and promote suitable alternatives such as umbrella eliminators. Taste.
The committee found in a random telephone survey earlier that 90.6% of the respondents had the habit of bringing their own shopping bags, 67.3% would avoid using disposable plastic umbrella bags, and less than 3 adults indicated that they did not have the habit of reducing disposable plastics.
Citizen Ms. Huang said that she rarely uses the umbrella bags provided by shopping malls or supermarkets on weekdays, but friends around her often use them. She thinks that if the umbrella bags are no longer distributed, it is not a big problem, and she can prepare umbrella bags in advance.
In a supermarket in Wan Chai, the staff said that many people use free plastic bags on weekdays, and when it rains, many citizens will use the umbrella bags provided by the store.
If the SAR government implements the prohibition on the distribution of umbrella bags, the store will follow the implementation.
Chen Zhiqiu, a spokesman for the Hong Kong Association of Property Management Companies, said that the industry supports the ban on the distribution of free disposable plastic products, and believes that the relevant measures have little impact on the industry.
There are already water absorbing machines on the market to replace umbrella bags, and the industry is willing to contribute to environmental protection. "One umbrella can reduce one plastic bag, which can already be of great help."
The Secretary for the Environment of the HKSAR Government, Mr Wong Kam-sing, said that he welcomed all the committee's recommendations.
The epidemic has changed people's living habits, including eating habits, and the increase in disposable plastic waste. The SAR Government will implement the recommendations as soon as possible, and he will give a further response to the Legislative Council Panel on Environmental Affairs on the 25th of this month.