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Use fewer plastic bags in markets
An eight-week campaign to encourage the public to reduce the use of plastic bags will be launched in nine markets starting February 10 (Friday).
The markets are: Shek Tong Tsui Market, Kowloon City Market, Yeung Uk Road Market, North Kwai Chung Market, Yiu Tung Estate Market, Yiu On Estate Market, Jat Min Chuen Market, Lai Tak Chuen Market and Cho Yiu Chuen Market.
The campaign is organised by the Working Group on Plastic Bags (Wet Market), with representatives from the Environmental Protection Department, the two municipal councils, Housing Authority, Hong Kong Housing Society and the Consumer Council.
A spokesman for the working group said: "During the campaign period, reusable shopping bags will be distributed to market-goers while wrapping papers will be given to stall-operators to pack goods wherever possible.
"We aim to assess the practicality of and public's receptiveness to the use of such alternatives to plastic bags in markets. And in this way, we hope the public will be helped to drop habits of using plastic bags indiscriminately."
"To drive home the campaign message, posters bearing the slogan 'Protect the Environment, Use Fewer Plastic Bags' will be put up at prominent places. Stickers bearing the same message will be displayed at participating stalls to signify their support to the campaign," the spokesman said.
Over 1,000 market stalls, including vegetable and fruit stalls, grocery stores, seafood stalls as well as meat stalls, will take part in the campaign.
With technical guidance and advice provided by the Environmental Protection Department, the management staff of the markets will draw up their own plastic bag reduction plans and activities, such as exhibitions, competitions and lucky draws, to encourage stall-operators and market-goers to support the campaign.
To mark the opening of the "Plastic Bag Reduction in Markets" campaign and to help spread the "use fewer plastic bags" message, a television show will be broadcast on Friday (February 10) at 10.30 pm on TVB Jade.
To assess the effectiveness of the campaign, the Consumer Council will conduct a survey of the nine participating markets to measure the attitudinal and behavioural change of consumers and stall-operators towards the use of plastic bags in markets before and after the campaign. Survey results will be available later this year.
End/Tuesday, February 7, 1995