Let's see what the leading confectionery enterprises in Hong Kong do.

Only genuine actions will lead us to Plastic-free.

(press release, June 10, 2020) Hong Kong's business volume of prepackaged confectionery products (chocolate, chewing gum, sugar) reached 4.1 billion yuan in 2019, but 340 million plastic packages were consumed at the same time, not counting independent packaging.

This Council points out that the plastic packaging of confectionery does not require the use of uniform plastic, and many of them also use composite materials, and most of the packaging lacks a recycling label or is contaminated by food, so it is almost impossible to recycle and is often reduced to garbage.

That this Council urges the international giant confectionery companies to set reduction targets suitable for Hong Kong and take the lead in increasing the sales mode of naked purchase and non-plastic packaging, instead of "real public relations, fake plastic".

As for the Hong Kong Government, we can make reference to Singapore's policy of requiring operators to report packaging volume, so as to enhance the effectiveness of plastic reduction from the perspective of supply chain.

According to the market survey data obtained by this Council, the three major brands MARS, Ferrero and Nestle account for nearly 40% of the confectionery market in Hong Kong.

These international brands promised in 2018 that they would implement a series of plastic removal measures by 2025 (see table), such as "clear recycling instructions in packaging" and "100% packaging as recyclable, reusable and degradable materials".

However, when this Council wrote to these enterprises to inquire about the progress of the implementation of plastic reduction in Hong Kong (see below for questions), the response was not positive.

In addition to Nestl é said that there are dedicated colleagues to follow up the packaging data sold in Hong Kong, Ferrero admitted that there are no relevant statistics.

MARS responded most negatively and had nothing to add except to reaffirm its international commitment.

In addition, in the past two months, we investigated 13 supermarkets and product stores selling prepackaged confectionery products in Hong Kong (ParknShop, Wellcome, U Buy, Ida, Aeon, Citysuper, Three sixty, Martha, MUJI, snack Story, 759 A letter House, Taste 1o1, quality 360,360). After examining more than 400 kinds of confectionery products (the same product with different taste is a product), it was found that more than half (53%) of the products were not marked with recycling marks.

The brand also does not provide naked buying, reusable packaged goods and recycling channels.

A spokesman for the earth pointed out that the Hong Kong confectionery market has grown by 15% over the past five years. From the above survey, it is found that these leading enterprises that dominate the local confectionery market have not contributed to their packaging in the past. Future reduction strategies also rely on plastic materials, ignoring Hong Kong's lack of recycling and recycling related packaging facilities, questioning that under such an international commitment, local plastic packaging will only continue to become plastic waste.

This Council has found that even in strengthening recovery, the three enterprises have invested resources and scientific research in Australia, Germany and the United States respectively to assist front-line recovery and support the research and development of sorting and recovery technologies.

On the other hand, Hong Kong has simply handed in vain and refused to respond to the local progress of plastic reduction. This Council doubts that these giant enterprises are "real public relations, fake plastic, and their performance is disappointing.

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It is a pity that the Earth urges confectionery brands to disclose the packaging consumption imported into Hong Kong and to promote alternatives such as naked purchase and the use of non-plastic packaging. If it is really impossible to avoid the use of plastic materials, clear recycling instructions must be printed on the packaging. And assume the responsibility of recycling packaging waste.