Reduce Single-Use Waste

Key figures:

• Takeaway has always been a habit to Hong Kong people, but the demand seems to have doubled during the pandemic. Before, the estimation was up to an average of 170 takeaway meals and 180 to-go drinks per person and per year.(1)

• Today Hong Kong is facing more and more disposable packaging waste: the population now generates enough disposable food and drink containers to fill the IFC building 48 times over every year. (1)

• 50% of the plastic produced worldwide is Single Use packaging: 190 million tonnes of Single Use plastic every year.

• In 2020, plastics represented 21% of Hong Kong’s Municipal Solid Waste with more than 2,300 tonnes being disposed to landfill per day; around 800 tonnes of plastic bags, 180 tonnes of plastic bottles, 265 tonnes of plastic or polyfoam dining wares were dumped every day.(2)

How to reduce Single Use Items at the office?

1. Bring your own water bottle

Say no to plastic bottles and refill your own!

Do you know what really happens to the plastic you throw away?

2. Bring your own mug

Let's say NO to disposable cups! We all need our everyday cup(s) of coffee or tea. But, do we really need a Single Use cup? Single Use beverage cups are among the top items found littered on beaches around the world(5). Over 500 billion disposable cups are consumed worldwide annually, of which between 250 and 300 billion are plastic-lined paper cups (5) and more than 25 billion styrofoam cups(3).

20 million trees are cut down each year to produce Single Use paper cups.(4)

Bring your own mug or use the cups and glasses provided at work!

3. Bring your own food container and reusable utensils for lunch

Avoid these plastic or polyfoam containers thanks to your reusable lunch box.

And don’t forget your reusable cutlery! Do you know the story of a spoon?

Can you also say NO to straws? Hong Kong's plastic straw consumption in 2020 was 1 billion! (7)

4. Bring your reusable bag

An average of 793 tonnes of plastic bags are disposed in Hong Kong landfills every day. Bring your own bag when you go shopping!

5. Refuse free stuff

Breathe in, smile, and just say “no, thank you” to these free items that will end up in general waste...

Say NO to Single Use Items! Lead by example!

References:

(1)https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3125648/bring-your-own-food-container-or-let-hong-kong-drown-under-waste

(2)https://www.wastereduction.gov.hk/sites/default/files/msw2020.pdf

(3)https://www.earthday.org/fact-sheet-how-much-disposable-plastic-we-use/

(4)https://plastic.education/the-problem-with-disposable-cups/

(5)https://www.lifecycleinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/UNEP_-LCA-Beverage-Cups-Report_Web.pdf

(6)https://plasticoceans.org/the-facts/

(7)https://www.opcf.org.hk/en/nostrawcampaign