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Plastic Beverage Containers PRS – Why a Deposit-return System works?

Plastic Beverage Containers PRS – Why a Deposit-return System works? 

Ride on the government’s public consultation of plastic beverage bottle producer responsibility system (PRS), The Green Earth invites your participation to our forum scheduled for 17 May 2021. It would be a pleasure to have you taking part in this forum, please register here on or before the 14 May 2021 (Fri): https://bit.ly/2SjLOXn 

Event Overview  

Nearly 5 million PET plastic bottles are discarded every day in our landfills. However, for every 100 plastic bottles, not even one gets recycled. The rest are being disposed of at landfills, the countryside and the oceans. 

Three years ago, Secretary for the Environment Wong Kam-sing claimed that he would go for a deposit-return system to drive plastic bottle reduction. However, the Environmental Protection Department proposed another approach, which is a rebate system in their public consultation on the plastic beverage bottle PRS this year.  

Why do we believe a deposit-return system is critical to boosting source reduction and recycling? Let’s dissect the economic implications and feasibility of both systems with speakers having rich international and local experience. 

Speakers 

Mr. Robert Kelman – Director, Reloop Pacific 

Dr. Benjamin Steuer – Assistant Professor, Division of Environment and Sustainability, HKUST 

Mr. Edwin Lau, MH – Founder & Executive Director, The Green Earth 

Panel moderator 

Dr. Janet Chan – Lecturer, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, HKU 

Details of the forum  

Date: 17 May 2021 (Monday) 

Time: 12:30pm – 2:00pm 

Language: English 

Participate on Zoom (Link will be shared with successful registrants) 

Time 

Schedule 

12:25 pm 

Zoom Waiting Room Opens 

12:30 pm 

Opening Remarks 

Mr. Edmond Lau – Senior Project Officer, The Green Earth 

12:35 pm 

Feasibility and Potentials of a Deposit System for Plastic Reduction and Recycling 

Mr. Edwin Lau, MH – Founder & Executive Director, The Green Earth 

12:55 pm 

International Deposit System Experience and Why it suits Hong Kong? 

Mr. Robert Kelman – Director, Reloop Pacific 

13:15 pm 

The Circular Economic Implications and the Ultimate Goal of the PRS
Dr. Benjamin Steuer – Assistant Professor, Division of Environment and Sustainability, HKUST 

13:35 pm 

Panel Discussion 

Dr. Janet Chan – Lecturer, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, HKU