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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) reminds all retail outlets that the EPD will no longer give prior verbal warnings on the legal requirements of plastic shopping bag (PSB) charging starting from May 1, and immediate enforcement action will be taken should any contraventions be found. Retailers contravening the requirements are liable to a fixed penalty of $2,000 or even prosecution proceedings.
An EPD spokesman today (April 26) said that the full implementation of PSB charging has been largely proceeding smoothly at the retail level for about a month since its launch on April 1. Most retail outlets comply with the legal requirements and charge at least 50 cents for each plastic bag provided to customers, unless such use is exempted from the PSB charge. A small number of individual retail outlets have been found contravening the law by distributing PSBs free of charge, leading to verbal warnings and on-site explanations of the legal requirements given to the shop operators concerned by EPD enforcement officers.
From April 1 to 25, about 7,000 retail outlets were inspected by the EPD's officers with 62 verbal warnings given to non-complying stores including market stalls, grocery stores, bakery shops, fashion shops, and shops selling computer, aquarium or other items. The contraventions included providing free PSBs for non-foodstuff or airtight food or free PSBs for both exempted items and non-exempted items, or providing non-woven bags or other kinds of plastic bags without charging customers, as well as offering rebates to customers to offset the PSB charge.
The spokesman said that the arrangement of giving verbal warnings against contraventions enabled retailers and members of the public to better adapt to the new requirements so that PSB charging could be implemented smoothly. Starting from May 1, this Friday, immediate enforcement action including a fixed penalty notice or prosecution action will be taken against non-compliance with no prior verbal warning given by the EPD's officers.
Under the Product Eco-responsibility (Amendment) Ordinance 2014, all retailers in Hong Kong, irrespective of size of operation and business nature, have to charge customers not less than 50 cents for each PSB provided for the retail sale of goods, except for situations where there is an exemption. The PSB charge is retained by the shops. PSBs used for food hygiene reasons, such as for containing a food item which is unpackaged or contained in non-airtight packaging or in frozen/chilled state, can be exempted from the PSB charge. PSBs used for the pre-packaging of goods are also exempted, while bags provided with services fall outside the scope of regulation.
As regards individual retailers who charge more than 50 cents for each PSB provided, or apply a PSB charge for exempted items, the spokesman said that the purpose of the law is to encourage members of the public not to abuse the use of plastic bags, adding that such business practice is not in breach of the law and it is also understandable from the environmental perspective that it would help reduce the indiscriminate use of plastic bags. To avoid confusion, he urged the retailers concerned to post notices in their shops so that customers can clearly understand the shop's business practice.
The spokesman added that the EPD will continue to publicise the new measures and promote the green habit of "BYOB" (bring your own bag) among shop owners and the general public through various channels and public education campaigns.
Under the principle of "Use Less, Waste Less", the spokesman called on the public to use reusable shopping bags and avoid using plastic bags or other disposable shopping bags, while retailers should avoid indiscriminate distribution of plastic bags even when such use could be exempted from the PSB charge, as well as over-packaging, to help save the environment.
Ends/Sunday, April 26, 2015
Issued at HKT 14:01
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