90% of Hong Kong people support plastic bag tax

Published on October 27, 2005 By Rajiv Badlani In Business

The Green Students Council in Hong Kong conducted a survey outside 25 supermarkets and found that 90% of the respondents supported a tax on plastic bags.

Hong Kong consumers use 6.7 billion plastic bags a year, or 1,294 plastic bags per person. Taiwan and Ireland have sharply reduced the use plastic bags by imposing levies three years ago. The Taiwanese, who used to use 909 bags per head, have reduced consumption by 80%. Ireland's consumers used one billion plastic bags annually, or 256 plastic bags a person, before a similar levy was introduced in March 2002. Since then Irish retailers have reported a 90 percent drop in the number of plastic bags used while the government raised 9.6 million euros (HK$94.57 million) in the first year of the levy. Despite this, Secretary for Environment, Transport and Works Sarah Liao said charging people HK$1 for each plastic bag is very complex and alternative proposals should be considered. Sounds like the Indian government. Things that are simple for others become complex for us. But I’m surprised to hear this from Hong Kong. Governments! 90% of the people say tax plastic bags and the government thinks it’s too complex. I ask you!

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