Letter to the Editor of SCMP - Response to letter headlined "Survey on plastic shopping bags inadequate"

 
Letter to the Editor of SCMP - Response to letter headlined "Survey on plastic shopping bags inadequate"

I write in response to the letter headlined “Survey on plastic shopping bags inadequate” on 1 January 2008 by Mr Alex Tam.

As rightly observed by Mr Tam, our per capita disposal figure of plastic shopping bags is much higher than those of our overseas counterparts. This finding is based upon an on-site waste survey conducted by the Environmental Protection Department at refuse transfer stations and landfills. Following well-established methodology adopted in the Department’s annual waste survey, waste samples from domestic, industrial and commercial sources were randomly selected, and plastic shopping bags found were counted and sources tabulated. The waste survey indicates that more than 8 billion plastic shopping bags are disposed of at landfills every year, hence the disposal figure of more than three plastic shopping bags per person per day.

In fact, the problem of indiscriminate use of plastic shopping bags is well acknowledged by the public. The public opinion survey referred to by Mr Tam indicated that nearly 90% of the public agreed that there was room to reduce the use of plastic shopping bags in their daily life, and 66% of the public supported or strongly supported the introduction of an environmental levy to address the problem. The public opinion survey was conducted by the Center of Communication Research of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the sample size was consistent with that of public opinion surveys of similar nature.

While the proposed environmental levy aims to reduce the use of plastic shopping bags at source, the Department also encourages the reuse of plastic shopping bags. The extent of the indiscriminate disposal of plastic shopping bags in Hong Kong is such that there will still be ample scope for reusing plastic shopping bags as bin liners, even after the introduction of the environmental levy in respect of plastic shopping bags in certain retail outlets. We also note that heavy-gauge plastic bin liners, which Mr Tam referred to, are generally sold at a price, and should not be abused as in the case of free plastic shopping bags. Reduction and reuse of plastic shopping bags are complementary and should be practiced in our daily living.

We thank Mr Tam for his interest in the reduction and the reuse of plastic shopping bags.

Alfred Lee
Assistant Director
Environmental Protection Department