Shoppers to pay levy on plastic bags in Hong Kong

Dec 21, 2007, 4:52 GMT

Hong Kong- Hong Kong shoppers will be paying a levy on plastic bags by the year 2009 following the approval of a new bill aimed at helping the environment.

The bill, published Friday, will impose a levy of 50 Hong Kong cent (six US cents) on every plastic bag taken home from supermarkets, convenience stores and cosmetics shops.

The introduction of the levy follows years of debate on the issue and comes just one month after supermarket chain Park 'N' Shop abandoned a similar scheme charging 20 cents per bag following public uproar.

The scheme has also come under fire by plastic bag manufacturers many of whom are based in Hong Kong but have factories in China, who argue that many of the alternatives to plastic bags are even less environmentally friendly.

According to government statistics, Hong Kong uses 23 million plastic bags - more than three bags per person - every day.

With the Product Eco-responsibility bill, the tax will be imposed in phases, with the first phase affecting supermarkets and larger chain stores expected to be in place by the beginning of 2009.

Secretary for the Environment Edward Yau said he expected the levy to bring in 100 million Hong Kong dollars in its first year.

However, he stressed the aim was to change public behaviour and its success would be measured by less money being generated, not more.

'It is estimated that the levy could help reduce about 50 per cent of the plastic shopping bags distributed by the prescribed retailers,' he said.

Hong Kong, a notoriously environmentally unfriendly, densely populated city of 6.9 million which has one of the world's largest per capita carbon footprints.