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Written by: Lao Minyi
2021-01-24 00:00
Last update date: 2021-01-24 00:00
Since the full implementation of the plastic bag levy, the amount of plastic bags disposed of in convenience stores has increased year by year, reaching 55.8 million in 2018, but it suddenly plummeted to 4.37 million in 2019, a drop of more than 90%.
The relevant data is randomly sampled by the Environmental Protection Department at the landfill and estimated based on the characteristics of the sample. As for plastic bags that cannot be classified and are not printed with a logo or mark that can identify the source, they will be classified as "other".
According to the reporter's observation, many supermarkets and convenience stores switched to ordinary white vest bags, which could not identify the source, making the data reference questionable, and the amount of plastic bags used may not really decrease.
However, the Environmental Protection Department insists that the relevant statistical methods can reflect the overall disposal volume of plastic shopping bags and help the department monitor the operation of the project.
In recent years, trademarks have been printed on plastic bags in convenience stores.
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The Environmental Protection Agency has investigated the amount of plastic shopping bags discarded every year since 2009. In 2019, the overall discarded amount decreased by about 10% year-on-year. The most obvious decline was in convenience stores, which decreased by 92.2% year-on-year.
As for the calculation method of plastic bag disposal volume, the Environmental Protection Department explained that samples of plastic bags are first taken from waste sent to landfills, and then further classified according to different types and sources, so that each type of plastic bag is included in the sample. Estimated annual disposal volume.
The waste samples were randomly selected, and the plastic shopping bags were sorted manually by on-site staff, and identified according to their material, size, color, whether it had a handle feature, or the logo or mark of the retail source printed on it.
As for the bags that cannot be classified and are not printed with a logo or mark that can identify the source, they will be classified as "other plastic bags".
The reporter recently visited Pokka, Wellcome, 7-Eleven and OK convenience stores randomly and found that the plastic bags distributed by them were all white plastic bags without any signs. According to the above statistical method, I believe they will be classified as "other plastic bags." Category statistics.
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A large number of white vest plastic bags invaded the retail industry. Huang Weiqi, the executive vice president of the Hong Kong Plastic Bag Manufacturers Association, pointed out that it is not difficult to find poor quality plastic bags without any signs on online shopping platforms. Each price does not cost 1 cent. Many in Hong Kong Many merchants only focus on price, thinking that "plastic bags are thrown away after a while, so they don't make them too durable." On the contrary, European customers focus on whether plastic bags are environmentally friendly and reusable.
He believes that when non-degradable plastic bags are banned in the Mainland, but the Hong Kong government does not have any corresponding policies, cheap and inferior plastic bags will only continue to ramp up in Hong Kong.
Many takeaways are carried in white vest bags, which makes it difficult to identify the source.
(Data Picture / Photo by Gao Zhongming)
Ring group refers to doubts about the accuracy of estimates
Under the first stage of the plastic bag levy, supermarkets, convenience stores, and health care and cosmetics stores must report the number of plastic bags distributed to the Environmental Protection Agency and submit the levy to the government warehouse.
By 2015, the scope of the plan was expanded to all retail outlets, allowing retailers to keep and handle plastic bag charges by themselves, and there is no need to keep records of the distribution of plastic bags and report to the department, so as not to bring administrative charges to small and medium retail outlets burden.
In other words, the government has not been able to grasp the actual distribution of plastic bags in recent years.
"Hong Kong 01" asked ParknShop, Wellcome and Yada supermarkets, as well as 7-Eleven and OK convenience stores, about the distribution of plastic bags and the use of plastic bag tax. Only ParknShop responded that there are requirements for the "Plastic Bag Regulation". Established internal guidelines and encouraged the public to bring their own shopping bags. The remaining merchants did not reply before the deadline.
Zhu Hanqiang, Director of Green Earth Environmental Initiative, believes that if the authorities are unable to identify the source of plastic bags and have doubts about the effectiveness of the evaluation policy, they believe that the investigation method must be reviewed and strengthened during the review of the plastic bag levy plan, such as requiring retailers to declare plastic bags again. Distribute the amount to avoid "missing errors."
He Hanwei, director-general of the Green Collar Initiative, also stated that large retailers have set up cashier offices and are well managed. He believes that the government can negotiate with the retail industry to encourage them to fulfill their social responsibilities and voluntarily report the distribution of plastic bags, so as to more accurately evaluate the effectiveness of the plan.
Zhu Hanqiang believes that during the review of the plastic bag levy plan, the investigation methods should be reviewed together. For example, retailers are required to re-declare the distribution of plastic bags to avoid "error syndrome."
(Photo/Photo by Wu Zhongkun)
The EPA insists that current statistics reflect the amount of plastic bags disposed of
The Environmental Protection Department replied that there are no plans to change the requirements for retailers not to provide quarterly reports to the government, including the number of plastic shopping bags to be distributed, and the administrative requirements for registration and record keeping.
The spokesperson also pointed out that in order to make the survey results comparable, the statistical methods used in the survey on the amount of disposal over the years have been consistent. They believe that the statistical methods can reflect the overall disposal amount of plastic shopping bags and help the department monitor the plan. Operational situation.
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