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The Under Secretary for the Environment, Dr Kitty Poon, visited an elderly centre today (July 13) to remind the elderly to take their own shopping bags whenever they went shopping.
Dr Poon distributed environmental bags to the senior citizens in the Yuen Yuen Elderly Centre (Sham Tseng) and encouraged them to take the bags when shopping. She also showed them posters and video footage to remind them that the environmental levy scheme on plastic shopping bags came into force on July 7.
Dr Poon was pleased by the overwhelming support from the elderly to environmental levy scheme on plastic shopping bags. They are willing to take their own shopping bags. ¡§I am impressed by the understanding and support of these senior citizens to our efforts to reduce the use of plastic shopping bags. It is important to publicise the message of using/taking your own bag to different sectors in our community,¡¨ she said.
¡§The levy scheme provides a direct economic incentive to discourage the indiscriminate use of plastic shopping bags. People are encouraged to take their own bags at all times to avoid the levy,¡¨ Dr Poon said.
Under the environmental levy scheme, registered retailers are required to charge customers a 50 cent environmental levy for each plastic shopping bag provided. Prescribed retailers include major and chain supermarkets, convenience stores, personal health and beauty stores, and supermarkets in department stores.
Ends/Monday, July 13, 2009
Issued at HKT 18:35
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