XN000022-1991-01-19 — Page 3

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 1991

"IN ADDITION, IT WILL REALISTICALLY TAKE INTO LIKELY MANPOWER AND FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS WITHIN THE NEXT AND THE INEVITABLE NEED TO DETERMINE PRIORITIES.

ACCOUNT THE

FEW YEARS,

"ALSO TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IS THE NEED TO ENSURE THAT BXISTING OR PROPOSED NEW SERVICES PROVIDE THE BEST VALUE FOR MONEY."

THE FIRST MEETING WILL BE HELD EARLY NEXT MONTH.

RETAILERS URGED TO STOP PROVISION OF FREE PLASTIC BAGS

THE DIRECTOR OF ENVIROMENTAL PROTECTION, DR STUART REED, TODAY (SATURDAY) URGED MAJOR RETAILERS TO STOP ALTOGETHER PROVIDING FREE PLASTIC BAGS FOR THEIR MERCHANDISE TO HELP REDUCE THE EXCESSIVE USE OF PLASTIC BAGS.

OFFICIATING AT THE BODY SHOP

PAPER-MAKING PROJECT,

DR REED SAID: "INSTEAD, RETAILERS COULD OFFER RATHER LARGER AND MUCH MORE ROBUST PLASTIC BAGS AT SAY $2 A TIME, SIDR BY SIDE WITH MORE PERMANENT REUSABLE BAGS, SUCH AS ARE ALREADY AVAILABLE AT ABOUT $8 FROM AT LEAST ONE OF THE MAJOR SUPERMARKET CHAINS,

DR REED SAID THE GOVERNMENT MIGHT BR ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE BY ORGANISINO A MASS PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO REDUCE USE OF PLASTIC BAGS.

BACH DAY, 15 MILLION PLASTIC BAGS ARE USED IN HONG KONG.

"A SCHEME LIKE THIS WILL NOT OF COURSE RID HONG KONG OF ALL PLASTIC BAGS, DR REED SAID, "BUT THE SCHEME I HAVE IN MIND COULD DRAMATICALLY REDUCE THE NUMBER OF PLASTIC BAGS IN CIRCULATION, PERHAPS BY AS MUCH AS 50 TO 75 PER CENT.

"THOSE THAT ARE LEFT IN CIRCULATION WILL BE MUCH AND THEREFORE LESS LIKELY TO BE CAST CARELESSLY UPON A ENVIRONMENT..

"

MORE VALUED DEFENCELESS

THE

FOR THE SCHEME TO WORK, DR REED SAID MEMBERS OF WOULD HAVE TO ADOPT DIFFERENT HABITS IN SMALL WAYS, AND ATTITUDES.

COMMUNITY TO CHANGE

"BUT I FEEL THAT THE GENERAL CHANGE IN ATTITUDE ΤΟ THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE HAVE SEEN IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS IN HONG KONG INDICATES THAT MANY MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY WOULD BE PREPARED

TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS CUTTING DOWN OUR EXCESSIVE USE OF PLASTIC BAGS, WITH ALL THE BENEFITS THAT WOULD MEAN FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT, DR REED CONCLUDED.

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