Users pay a HK$20 (US$2.60) deposit by Octopus card with no time limit on return and there is no washing-up afterwards – the used containers are returned to another machine and cleaned later, it was explained on Tuesday.
The vending machines have been set up in the city’s eight public universities as part of a HK$2.1 million (US$268,475) project funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust designed to promote sustainability in line with the government’s plan to ban plastic tableware next year. PE Foam Recycling and Pelletizing Machine
City University (CityU) students said convenience was the biggest attraction of the reusable containers.
Lo Wai-kin, studying for a doctorate in mechanical engineering, said being able to return the container without washing it first was a huge incentive.
“It is more convenient, it is free and I can help the environment while I don’t have to clean it myself,” the 28-year-old added.
Vojin Lukic, in his third year of a mechanical engineering degree, said the scheme would help people to be more aware of their use of throwaway plastic.
“I think it’s a great encouragement to increase the students’ exposure to sustainability,” he added.
Lukic said he often ordered takeaway food to eat in university common rooms or outdoor areas on the campus and brought his own utensils to cut down on waste.
Angel Chan, a master’s student in Chinese, said that she was interested in trying out the containers as they could save her cash.
“Currently, I have to pay another HK$1 for takeaway containers and some vendors offer a discount when I bring my own containers, so this helps me save some money,” she said.
“The HK$20 deposit is cheaper than other similar programmes and I can return the container conveniently without having to find collection points.”
The vending machines have been in place since September.
Steven Wang, associate vice-president of resources planning at CityU, said students and staff who ordered takeaways could use the containers to cut down on the use of disposable plastic.
He was speaking during a media tour at the university before the programme’s official launch next week.
Wang said the 1,200 lunchboxes in the machines had been loaned out more than 2,600 times across the eight campuses since they were introduced.
Each machine is loaded with 120 lunchboxes and the containers are available around the clock.
Wang said he hoped the programme would encourage more students to reduce their amount of disposable waste.
“Although the HK$20 is not a lot of money, our selling point is that users don’t have to clean it themselves,” he said.
“It is more troublesome for them to bring it home and clean it than to just drop it off without washing.”
He explained the scheme was designed to pre-empt the citywide ban on plastic tableware next April and predicted demand for the service would increase over time.
Environmental Protection Department figures show Hong Kong dumped about 2,300 tonnes (2,535 tons) of plastic in landfill sites every day.
Lawmakers earlier this month approved legislation to ban disposable plastic tableware from restaurants from April 22 next year.
PE Cap Linier Sheet Extrusion Line The sale and distribution of other disposable items, such as expanded polystyrene containers, plastic straws and stirrers, will also be forbidden.