​The Bye Bye Microbeads charter of the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has received the Public Relations & Communications Association - Asia Pacific (PRCA APAC): Public Sector Award, which recognises the department's outstanding work in advancing work on the scheme.
      
     The EPD launched the two-year voluntary phaseout scheme, Bye Bye Microbeads charter, in September 2021, encouraging the trade and the public to eliminate rinse-off products containing microbeads immediately, with a view to reducing the potential risk of microbeads at source to the marine environment.
      
     The charter invites manufacturers, importers, retailers of personal care and cosmetic products, beauty salons, hair salons and industry associations to support the phaseout of microbeads according to their business models, and to join hands to disseminate the relevant information. The EPD had overcome the impact brought by the COVID-19 pandemic through proactive collaboration with charter partners and communications contractor to promote the charter to over 100 industry organisations by means of various channels, including industry workshops, major expositions, briefing sessions, social media, online games, thematic websites and so on, so that the industry and consumers can better understand microbead-related information. The EPD also published a list of charter partners and microbead-free brands on its thematic website and distribute labels and certificates to aid consumers' informed choice of microbead-free products.
      
     An EPD spokesman said, "The charter has achieved remarkable and encouraging outcomes since its implementation, with more than 300 organisations becoming the charter partners, covering the entire Hong Kong personal care and cosmetic product industry chain, including all major local industry associations, local and multinational manufacturers and importers, large chain retailers, pharmacies and drug stores, beauty salons, hair salons, hotels, etc. The thematic website lists 150 international and local microbead-free brands, and the rate of Internet search for the keyword 'microbeads' has also substantially increased by three times, proving that the charter is not only influential within the industry, but also helps arouse public awareness on the topic. The EPD also conducted two rounds of market surveys in 2022 and the first quarter of this year, respectively, to reveal the actual situation of microbeads in the retail market. Over 10 000 products have been examined during the period and none of the products were found to contain microbeads."
      
     The spokesman also pointed out that receiving the award from the world's largest professional body in public relations and communications recognised the significant outcomes and impact of the charter. The EPD will continue to recruit more organisations to join the charter, and is planning to hold an award ceremony this August to reward charter partners that have performed outstandingly in promoting the phaseout of microbeads.
      
     The Public Relations and Communications Association, founded in 1969, is the world's largest professional public relations association to advocate excellence in public relations services, representing members in 82 countries and regions worldwide. The association hosts a series of awards events every year to recognise the best in public relations, communications and public affairs. The Public Sector Award is a new award this year to recognise outstanding and impressive work in the public sector in advancing work on a specific topic.
      
     Interested parties in joining the charter are welcome to visit the thematic website of Bye Bye Microbeads charter www.epd.gov.hk/epd/clean_shorelines/byebyemicrobeads/en.

Ends/Tuesday, April 4, 2023
Issued at HKT 16:10

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