Plastic bag campaigners tour NZ

Hong Kong based advocates for plastic bag reduction, Angus Ho Hon-wai and May Chan, are currently touring New Zealand. They are working towards plastic bag reduction campaigns in New Zealand similar to those Angus Ho Hon-wai has been instrumental in instigating in Hong Kong.

Both Ho Hon-wai and Chan are members of the Hong Kong Student Green Council, whose Hong Kong based campaigns have been very influential, recently culminating in a series of hugely popular ‘no plastic bag’ days. The bag-free days have been so successful because of the large number of retail changes participating and the support of the Hong Kong people - possibly due in part to the campaign enlisting a line up of Hong Kong celebrities. Around thirty nine chains and two thousand four hundred shops participate in the ‘no plastic bag’ days.

Angus Ho Hon-wai has already made contact with New Zealand based plastic bag reduction campaign groups. These include the well established Golden Bay Bag Ladies, and new on the scene this year the bagsNOT team, whose organisation has the sole purpose of introducing a plastic bag levy in New Zealand. Other local campaigners worth a mention are the ‘Green Teens’ from Nelson who won a prestigious YHA/DOC Young Conservationist Award last year for their plastic bag reduction work in their local community. Angus aims to bring these groups and others together under a larger umbrella organization named ‘Kiwi Plastic Bag Concern’.

As well as meeting with community campaigners Angus Ho Hon-wai also plans to meet with as many politicians as possible during his time in NZ, and has a meeting with Green Party Environment Spokesperson Nandor Tanczos scheduled in Wellington next week. During their meeting it is likely they will discuss the Green Party’s Waste Minimisation Bill which is currently before parliament.

When discussing plastic bag reduction in NZ, Angus Ho Hon-wai is very positive:
“We have had great success in Hong Kong …it should be a lot easier to instigate change in NZ than in Hong Kong – people in NZ are already very environmentally minded.”

Related Links:
‘No plastic bag day’ article on the Chinese Government web portal (English): http://www.gov.cn/english/2006-04/16/content_255371.htm
bagsNOT campaign: http://www.bagtax.org.nz
Golden Bay Bag Ladies: http://www.plasticshoppingbagfree.org.nz
Hong Kong Student Green Council (Chinese only): http://www.gsc.org.hk

ENDS

© Scoop Media