94% Landfilled Plastic Bags Not Tackled

HKRMA Urges the Government to Extend the Levy Scheme

The Environmental Levy Scheme on Plastic Shopping Bags has only made a very limited contribution to the reduction of indiscriminate use because plastic shopping bags that are distributed in 96% of all retail outlets are not subject to a levy, according to the Hong Kong Retail Management Association ("HKRMA").

The 50 cents-a-bag levy applies to only 4% of all retail outlets. Although there has been a significant reduction in the number of plastic bags distributed by affected retailers, the HKRMA estimates that in 2009 there will be only a 6% reduction in the usage of plastic bags in Hong Kong overall compared with the plastic bag usage in 2008.

HKRMA has always supported the recommendation from the Government's own consultants that voluntary action, coupled with education, is the best option to reduce indiscriminate plastic bag usage. The effectiveness of voluntary initiatives is underscored by the "Every Day No Plastic Bag" campaign launched by HKRMA since March this year which already recorded 90 million plastic bags saved as of June this year. Furthermore, it has been the long held position of the HKRMA that, if introduced, a levy should apply to all retail outlets.

"Retailers have all along been led to believe that the 4% coverage was only a start. The reduction in plastic bag usage has been modest and the Government should extend the levy to include all retail outlets," said Ms. Caroline Mak, Chairman of the Hong Kong Retail Management Association.

To facilitate small retailers who cannot afford a computerized or new cashier system to handle the levy, HKRMA suggested that small operators should be allowed to handle collected cash manually before submitting it to the Environmental Protection Department (EPD). This practice has been used in a store in Wong Tai Sin.

HKRMA also called on the Government to honour its commitment to conduct a comprehensive review of the effectiveness of phase 1 of the scheme. Ms. Mak said the first step of such a review would be defining the measurements of effectiveness and set a benchmark for measuring reduction.

She is also disappointed that the EPD still has not released the result of the survey on landfilled plastic bags conducted in the end of June. "The EPD should release the survey's findings now as one of first steps of working with stakeholders on devising the assessment mechanism," she said.

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About Hong Kong Retail Management Association

The Hong Kong Retail Management Association (HKRMA) was founded in 1983 by a group of visionary retailers with a long-term mission to promote Hong Kong's retail industry and to present a unified voice on issues that affect all retailers. Established for 25 years, the Association has been playing a vital role in representing the trade, and raising the status and professionalism of retailing through awards, education and training.

Today, HKRMA is the leading retail association in Hong Kong with membership covering more than 5,000 retail outlets and employing about half of the local retail workforce. HKRMA is one of the founding members of the Federation of Asia-Pacific Retailers Associations (FAPRA) and is the only representing organization from Hong Kong. FAPRA members cover 18 Asian Pacific countries and regions.

Media Contact
Hong Kong Retail Management Association
Name: Ms. Kan Ie
Tel: 2866 8311
Fax: 2866 8380
Email: kan.ie@hkrma.org

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Issued by Hong Kong Retail Management Association on29/10/2009