15 Hong Kong businesses hit with plastic bag spot-fines of HK$2,000

[SuckMyKiss]

15 Hong Kong businesses hit with plastic bag spot-fines of HK$2,000

Businesses slapped with on-the-spot fines of HK$2,000 as new 'green' law takes hold

PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 03 June, 2015, 3:29am
UPDATED : Wednesday, 03 June, 2015, 3:29am

Danny Lee [email protected]

Enforcement of Hong Kong's plastic bag levy scheme will be "flexible" for the first month start from April 1, 2015. Photo: May Tse

Fifteen retailers have been fined for breaching a new law on charging shoppers for plastic bags, two months after the rules came into force.

A grocery store, pharmacies, a news stand and a hawker stall were among the retailers caught providing free bags for non-food items and slapped with HK$2,000 fixed-penalty fines.

The Environmental Protection Department said 13,000 retailers had complied with on-the-spot inspections throughout May, while noting Hongkongers had adapted to the green practice of "bring your own bag".

As of April 1, all retailers, from street hawkers to electronic appliance stores, have been required to charge customers no less than 50 cents for a plastic bag unless the goods are on the department's exemption list.

A department spokesman said: "Through various channels and public education campaigns, the department will continue to publicise the full implementation of plastic shopping bag charging and promote the green BYOB [bring your own bag] habit among shop owners and the general public to reduce the use of plastic bags."

Bags used for food hygiene reasons are exempted under the scheme, as well as those used specifically for packaging foods such as rice, and bags provided with certain services, including dry cleaning.

Gabriel Ho Ka-po, project manager at environmental campaign group Greensense, said: "I hope that customers have the awareness of either not using or reusing plastic bags."

Greensense urged the government to start collecting the plastic bag levy and use the money for environmental improvements rather than letting retailers pocket the cash.