{"id":158650,"date":"2021-04-23T09:00:52","date_gmt":"2021-04-23T01:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thehoneycombers.com\/hong-kong\/?p=158650"},"modified":"2021-04-23T09:49:10","modified_gmt":"2021-04-23T01:49:10","slug":"reducing-plastic-in-hong-kong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thehoneycombers.com\/hong-kong\/reducing-plastic-in-hong-kong\/","title":{"rendered":"Reducing plastic in Hong Kong: why it\u2019s going to take more than banning straws to fix this problem"},"content":{"rendered":"

We try to live good sustainable lives here in Hong Kong by conserving water<\/a>, shopping at vintage stores<\/a> and embracing vegetarian and vegan lifestyles<\/a>. But one thing that is hard to manage, no matter how much of a conscious consumer you are, is plastic. Here, Joakim Cimmerbeck traces the substance back to its roots and suggests what needs to happen community wide for us to be successful at reducing plastic in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n

Opinion<\/h2>\n

The birth of a material<\/h3>\n

The fourth son of a brass lock maker from Birmingham was born on the 29th of December, 1813. No one knew then that Alexander Parkes would be such a troublemaker; he invented plastic. However, he and his contemporary inventors used no synthetic or petrochemical material, so strictly speaking they are not responsible for the damage made by millions of bottles thrown on a daily basis here in Hong Kong. The inventor for the first synthetic plastic, Bakelite, was Leo Baekeland, a Belgian living in New York in 1907, he also coined the word: plastic.<\/p>\n

Yet, we cannot blame the inventors for the fact that each of the bottles we throw away will live in the eco systems for an eternity. We are the ones that throw them away, not them.<\/p>\n

Plastic can be found in almost all modern products: mobile phones, straws, computers. Most cars are around 20 per cent plastic, doctors use plastics to replace bones and joints in our bodies, and the food industry uses plastic to keep food fresh; it\u2019s a very good product for certain long-term uses, but we do not have a good relationship with the substance, and it should probably cost more, as then we\u2019d be less willing to throw it away so easily.<\/p>\n

How do we solve being overrun by plastic?<\/h3>\n

\"reducing<\/p>\n

What is the solution? The best alternative is recycling. While we will not see plastic go away anytime soon, over time we will see smarter plastics that are less dangerous for our precious eco-system.<\/p>\n

We already see a lot of work being done to get plastic away from our oceans, but we need to do more. We need to change our attitude towards this, and Hong Kong, with it\u2019s significant surplus budget, should invest in a recycling structure Hong Kong wide.<\/p>\n

But, we the citizens need to ask for it. Our representatives are only doing what will keep them in power, and we need them to make recycling a top priority. We\u2019re a coastal city and we\u2019re very dependent on the sea that surrounds us. Things are moving in the right direction for Hong Kong, but we can\u2019t slow down and think that because others are taking care of the situation, we\u2019ll be alright.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div>\n
\n
View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

A post shared by Plastic Oceans International (@plasticoceans)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n