In the evening of 22 November, 2021 (Monday), I had the pleasure to be a panel speaker at the Hong Kong Green Drinks event at Cafe 8. The topic discussed was the control of single-use plastics in Hong Kong, along with Mei from Sou Sou Plastic Recycling and Jeff from SLOWOOD package-free supermarket. The event time coincided with the first town hall meeting held by Council for Sustainable Development to increase public awareness of the impact of single-use plastics for policy planning. It was a timely occasion to explain this public engagement exercise in an intimate setting, with an audience concerned about environmental policy in Hong Kong. I have convinced everyone in the room to fill out the public engagement views collection form on the potential of banning single-use plastics. Interestingly, a member from the audience is working on a refillable solution for personal hygiene items like soap and shampoo, which can lead to substantial savings on plastic packaging. She offered insights in alternative materials and innovative packaging to form a truly circular economy.

I have been a big fan of SLOWOOD since couple years back, it was a true honour to listen to Jeff speak about their founding story and how they aim to make zero-waste, organic lifestyle accessible by price-matching with traditional supermarkets. Mei from Sou Sou Plastic Recycling shared why people are willing to pay for her door-to-door recycling service, and what the government can do better to raise public’s level of trust in recycling services.

Please submit your views by 29 Dec, 2021 – We really need your views to build momentum for more stringent regulations on plastics! The world cannot wait!

Thank you Cosmo Lo for your excellent job moderating the panel, and Betty Li for organising. Happy to return to green drinks after sharing on river tern conservation 2 years ago.