Hong Kong marine rubbish packaging rebounded

[China Packaging News] According to media reports, Hong Kong's marine litter has only increased. In this year’s “International Coastal Cleanup Campaign”, the Environmental Protection Association seized a total of 4,800 kilograms of rubbish at 35 coastal sites in Hong Kong, and the volume rebounded. According to the Environmental Promotion Association, the increase in the number of food packaging bags for marine litter this year was the largest. It is estimated that the public celebrated the beach in celebration of the festival in recent years. After that, food packaging was left behind and it eventually became marine litter. The council hopes that the SAR government will strengthen law enforcement and prevent the public from littering. At the same time, it will cooperate with the mainland authorities to combat illegal dumping of garbage at sea.

The annual "International Coastal Cleanup Campaign" was led by the Environmental Promotion Association this year. 2,600 volunteers conducted 69 coastal cleansing activities from September to November, and received a total of 18,692 pieces of disposable rubbish on the beach. It weighed 4,800 kilograms, 400 kilograms more than last year. According to statistics, Hong Kong has participated in the “International Coastal Cleanup Campaign” since 2012. In 2013, it seized 5,300 kilograms of rubbish, after which the quantity decreased year by year and fell to only 4,400 kilograms in 2015.

The garbage collected this year is still based on styrofoam, plastic, glass and other debris, which together account for 29.1% of the total amount of garbage, followed by food packaging waste such as beverage plastic bottles, candy potato chips, plastic bottles, etc. The three accounted for 19%. According to the Environmental Protection Association, the number of food packages collected has increased by nearly 80% over last year.

Zhao Junjie, senior project director of the Environmental Promotion Association, believes that the amount of garbage in food packaging has increased. The reason is that in recent years, people like to go to the beach to celebrate the holiday or birthday, and leave food packaging after play to become marine litter. In recent years, a large amount of food has been sold in individual packages, which has increased the amount of garbage in food packaging.

Zhao Junjie pointed out that in recent years, more and more junk has been transbounded into the oceans, with Lantau and Tuen Mun and the outlying islands as the most serious problems. Volunteers found a large amount of rubbish, used furniture and other large garbage on the coast of Tai O.

He Xiaoping, director-general of the Environmental Protection Association, pointed out that the quantity of marine litter in Hong Kong has picked up. He urged the government to step up enforcement to combat the problem of littering by the public. The government should strengthen cooperation with relevant departments in the Mainland to reduce marine debris that has drifted to Hong Kong with the tide.