For many years, the economic resurgence of mainland China has been a reliable scapegoat for a growing number of environmental woes in Hong Kong. But a recent government study has found that our beloved neighbours may not deserve all the blame – for marine rubbish at least.
The study estimates that less than five percent of garbage found on Hong Kong beaches and in the surrounding water can be traced back to mainland origins.
About a third of the trash collected between April 2013 and March 2014 consisted of natural debris, while the remainder (around 70 percent) was non-biodegradable plastic or foam materials.
The government body responsible for the study separated materials bearing simplified Chinese characters – more commonly used on the mainland – and concluded that the amount contributed by mainland sources is negligible.
The group amassed some 15,000 tonnes of garbage during the probe, with the majority found floating in the water. You can keep that in mind next time you go for a dip with a loosely attached Band-aid .
Amy Yuen, assistant director of the environmental protection department responsible for water policy, said that in even areas closest to the mainland, garbage with simplified characters only made up roughly 10 percent of the total, reports the SCMP.
Granted, she acknowledged that it was impossible to systematically determine where each piece of garbage came from, but she insists the classification method provides “by far the most technically viable way.”
The report also found the overwhelming amount of marine rubbish came from land sources, hinting that your most recent trip to the beach for a barbecue may have had much worse consequences than a dicky tummy and a hangover.
But of course, the increasing number of tourists – including those from the mainland – plays a big role in the amount of rubbish that ends up in the ocean, as pointed out by the Green Council and Hong Kong Cleanup.
Photo: Alexander Kaiser via pooliestudios.com
