Page 59 - Varsity Special Issue

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take environmental cost into account.
“We need to evaluate and strike a bal-
ance between both costs,” she adds.

Plastic ACTion Initiative
As businesses are trying their best
to minimise plastic waste, WWF
Hong Kong launched the Plastic AC-
A restaurant replaces
A restauran t replaces Tion Initiative (PACT) in March this
se plastics wi
single-use plastics with
th
single-u
bi o-degradable materi - year to target the entire food industry.
bio-degradable materi-
als.
als. Leading food delivery companies
(Photo Courtesy of The
( Photo Courtesy o f T he in Hong Kong including Deliveroo
Alchemist Cafe ) and Foodpanda, which accounts for
Alchemist Cafe)
about 90 per cent of the market share
in the city, have signed an industry-
wide pledge to eliminate plastics by
2025.
Apart from default cutlery opt-out
option, Foodpanda is working with
global and local suppliers to source Leading food delivery companies signed Plastic ACTion Initiative with WWF on
ood deli
Leading f
ompanies signed Plastic ACT
i
n
n Ini
very c
o
th WWF
ve wi
o
tiati
March 9.

sustainable packaging products for its March 9.
(Photo Courtesy of WWF HK)
HK)
(
f WWF
Photo Courtesy o
merchants and restaurants to use in 150 million one year after the imple- the use of plastic dining wares, she
the future, the company says in a writ- mentation. also advises the government to sub-
ten reply. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng sidise the food and beverage industry
tic takeaway containers and utensils. Yuet-ngor stated in the policy address by offering funds.
The Alchemist Cafe, founded by Dylan Leung Tik-lun Looking into the Future in 2018, that the government would “If disposable plastic tableware is
in October 2012, has been looking for more environmen- June Wong, Lead of Marine Lit- “study the feasibility, scope and mech- to be banned in Hong Kong, the gov-
tally-friendly substitutes for three years. “Plastics are defi- ter and Plastic Smart HK from World anism of controlling or banning dis- ernment has to provide financial sup-
nitely more economic, but just one straw will take hun- Wide Fund (WWF), believes that the posable plastic tableware.” port to the industry during the transi-
dreds of years to decompose in the landfill,” says Leung, government should also step up ef- The Environmental Protection tion period,” she says.
“So we insist to opt for a greener option.” fort to combat the city’s plastic waste Department (EPD) says it is conduct-
Reactions from customers have proved Leung’s deci- problem. ing the study to “draw up proposals
sion right. “I think the majority of customers support “Hong Kong lags behind when it suitable for implementation in Hong
and appreciate our decision,” says Leung. “In fact, I found comes to plastic waste legislation,” Kong” and the study is expected to
them very tolerant to situations like straws made of rice Wong says. She believes the “Plastic be completed by the end of 2020 in a
Edited by Kayi Tsang
becoming soggy after a while.” Shopping Bag Charging Scheme” that written reply. Edited by Kayi T sang
Apart from finding disposable alternatives, Yvonne Le- bans free plastic shopping bags distri- As Wong welcomes legislation for
ung Yee-wan from Space Cafe and Kitchen, believes using bution in the retail industry in 2015,
reusable containers is another way out. Since mid-March, has proved the effectiveness of legisla- “
the restaurant has been providing discounts to customers tion.
who bring their own dining wares, and tableware rental “The amount of plastic bags dis- Legislation could definitely help reduce
service for takeaways. posed of at landfills plummeted,” says
“We collect $50 deposit from our customers for every Wong. “Legislation could definitely plastic waste effectively because it is legal-
reusable lunch box and they can return it anytime at their help reduce plastic waste effectively
convenience. At least one customer would rent a lunch because it is legally binding and it ly binding and it could also arouse public
box per day,” Leung says. could also arouse public awareness.”
“We put the environment as our priority,” Leung says. According to the Environmental awareness.
Apart from economic cost, she believes one should also Protection Department, the number
of plastic bags in landfills decreased
A restaurant offers lunchbox rental
A restauran t o ffers l unchbo x ren tal from some 660 million before the im-
service. (
service. (Photo Courtesy of Space ” ”
Photo Cou
rtesy o
f Space
tchen)
Cafe and Kitchen) plementation of the scheme to some
Cafe and Ki