Hong Kong Steps Up Plastic Bag Enforcement For Retailers
May 16, 2015 |



Hong Kong's Environmental Protection Department says starting from May 1, it has stopped giving verbal warnings to retailers who do not comply with the legal requirements of plastic shopping bag charging.
The EPD says retail outlets must fully comply with the legal requirements of plastic shopping bag charging. Starting from May 1, immediate enforcement action will be taken should any contraventions be found. Retailers contravening the requirements are liable to a fixed penalty of HKD2,000 or even prosecution proceedings.
Under the Product Eco-responsibility (Amendment) Ordinance 2014, which became effective on April 1, 2015, all retailers in Hong Kong, irrespective of size of operation and business nature, have to charge customers not less than 50 cents for each plastic shopping bag provided for the retail sale of goods, except for situations where there is an exemption. The plastic shopping bag charge is retained by the shops.
Plastic shopping bags used for food hygiene reasons, such as for containing a food item which is unpackaged or contained in non-airtight packaging or in chilled state, can be exempted from the plastic shopping bag charge. Plastic shopping bags used for the pre-packaging of goods are also exempted, while bags provided with services fall outside the scope of regulation.
Image Credit: ZIGROUP-CREATIONS
Leave A Comment:
-
Education
- PolyU research reveals that short-term study-in-China programmes promote local university students’ intercultural competence and understanding of Mainland China
- GE Will Promote Wind Power Through New Chinese Education Center
- Guizhou Tourism Spot Added To World Heritage List
- American Educational Program Will Participate In Chinese Exchange
- Chinese Tech Giant Expands Educational Opportunities In America
-
Energy & Cleantech
-
Environment
-
Giving
- Tencent's CEO Commits 100 Million Shares Towards Charity
- Chinese Taxi Apps Donate CNY1 Million For Nepal Earthquake Relief
- Axalta Employees Gather For Tree Planting In Northern China
- Chinese E-commerce Company Supports Poverty Alleviation Initiative
- JD.com Donates CNY10 Million Scholarship To Renmin University
-
Happenings
-
Health
- Mead Johnson Settles Chinese Corruption Case Involving Infant Health
- Beijing Government Applies IBM's Cloud Computing To Solve Smog Problem
- Harmful Substances Found On Children's Clothing Made In China
- New Product Quality Issue Arises From New Zealand Milk Exported To China
- Mead Johnson Nutrition Penalized In Chinese Antitrust Case
-
Labor
-
Law & Order
-
Viewpoints
- Companies Can Help In The March Towards Better Consumer Rights In China
- CSR Review: Companies Have More Opportunities To Develop In China
- How Far Can Chinese Companies Take Corporate Social Responsibility?
- CSR Review: Companies Focus On Sustainability In China During Downturn
- Global Financial Woes May Impact Corporate Social Responsibility In China