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Thirteen local mooncake manufacturers have signed the Voluntary Agreement on Management of Mooncake Packaging with the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) this year, committing themselves to bringing a greener Mid-Autumn Festival to Hong Kong.
An EPD spokesman today (September 26) said, "The voluntary scheme has entered its fifth year. We are pleased to see that the trade has become more environmentally conscious in managing its production processes, particularly in choosing the packaging materials. Continuous improvement in the packaging of mooncake products, in terms of both the quantity of materials used and their recyclability, has been observed since the introduction of the first voluntary agreement in 2008."
The 13 signatories to the agreement this year are Arome, Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, Gold Coast Hotel, Holiday Inn Golden Mile, Grand Hyatt Hotel, Heng Heung, Kee Wah, Luna Cake, Maxim's, Panda Hotel, Saint Honore, Taipan and the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Under the agreement, the participating mooncake manufacturers commit to conserving resources and containing the use of packaging materials by using improved designs and production processes. They will also strive to adopt recyclable packaging materials and facilitate the recovery and recycling of used packaging materials.
"While we are collecting information about the practices adopted this year, initial findings reveal that the manufacturers who have signed the agreement have made a good effort in minimising their products' packaging. It is also pleasing to note that apart from taking on simple packaging designs and recyclable materials, individual signatories have taken a further step to provide incentives such as giving out dining discount vouchers to their customers to encourage the return of used mooncake containers for recycling," the spokesman said.
The public are encouraged to return used mooncake containers and packaging through the EPD's source separation facilities or other recycling programmes. Enquiries on the recovery of mooncake containers through the EPD's source separation facilities can be made by calling the department on 2838 3111. The information is also available on the EPD's waste reduction webpage at www.wastereduction.gov.hk.
Ends/Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Issued at HKT 15:30
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