5 ways to reduce plastic pollution
The famous Dragon Boat Festival
The vibrant Hong Kong's Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the 'Tuen Ng Festival' in Cantonese. This captivating celebration takes place on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, usually occurring between late May to early June.
Embark on a journey that spans 2,500 years, back to a time when fishing communities along the Yangtze River in southern China first embraced dragon boat racing. These communities engaged in this activity to appease the rain gods and rejoice in the summer rice planting. Whilst the roots are steeped in ancient rituals, today's motivation is less about tradition and more about having a fun time and keeping fit.
In Hong Kong, dragon boat racing takes the spotlight as the most popular activity during the Dragon Boat Festival. The name kinda gives it away, doesn't it? Picture this: teams of paddlers, accompanied by a drummer and a steersperson, fiercely competing against each other in long, slender boats. The atmosphere is electric as synchronised strokes of the paddles propel the boats forward, driven by the spirit of friendly rivalry. It’s a true spectacle to admire.
History of the event
But, let's dive into the legends and history of this festival. One of the most famous tales that depict the origin is the story of Qu Yuan, a poet from the Chu State during the Zhou Dynasty. Exiled from Chu after opposing a political alliance with the believed-to-be-corrupt state of Qin, Qu Yuan's fate was entwined with the destiny of his homeland. When Chu eventually fell into despair, Qu Yuan, consumed by sorrow, chose to surrender himself to the Miluo River on that poignant fifth day of the fifth lunar month. The story continues by honouring the spirit of Qu Yuan. Villagers, upon hearing of his tragic demise, raced out in boats with paddles and the resounding beat of drums. They cast rice dumplings into the water, a tribute to keep fish and evil spirits away from his resting place. And so, the cherished customs of devouring these mouthwatering dumplings and engaging in spirited dragon boat races became the legacy of what is today, the Dragon Boat Festival.
The fight against plastic waste
Alright, you're probably thinking what has the Dragon Boat Festival got to do with fighting plastic pollution? The pitfall of Qu Yuan also ironically parallels some of the sad reality that occurs during the Dragon Boat Festival. Food and drinks become indispensable to keep all participants entertained and energised. However, the distribution and disposal of the resources have become a significant issue: the waste generated has been noticeably under managed and monitored.
Despite the colourful vibrancy that paint the event’s dynamism, what is left after are piles of trash that leave a dull and ugly aftertaste. It is with such attention that the Dragon Boat Festival now serves as an opportunity to promote awareness about marine pollution. A campaign called "Paddle without Plastic" has been launched by Suzanne Younan, the founder of Green Dragons HK and the boat crew behind this campaign. This movement aims to encourage paddlers, sponsors, and festival organisers to minimise plastic waste during training and race events. Younan raised a concern, “[if] you consider that each team trains twice a week with 25 paddlers during 15 weeks of the season, this is 30,000 bottles that will not be added to the 5.2 million single-use plastic bottles entering the Hong Kong waste system every day”. Furthermore, the waste reported by Hong Kong’s NGO, Plastic Free Seas, have emphasised the importance of addressing the pollution problem. Last year (2023), they collected approximately 3,000 plastic bottles and 1,550 cans to recycle them at their own expense due to the lack of recycling infrastructure at the event in Stanley. Such green actors during the event have scrutinised the absence of proper waste disposal and management, and have even written out letters to the government to ask for better support.
With such picture in mind of the accumulated waste that has nowhere to go after the event, we thought it would be important to bring you Tuesday Tips on how to minimise our plastic consumption and pollution in Hong Kong.
1. BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle) and other single-use items
One of the biggest ways to reduce our plastic consumption is simply not using it. Instead, bring your own reusable water bottles or Tupperware, or even cutleries and straws. After all, the saying goes “reduce, reuse, recycle” - so think about applying this motto in your consumption behaviour. Here are some statistics on the plastic pollution state in Hong Kong (we need to make a strong case because what you are about to read is actually scary):
Did you know that everyday, 4-5 million plastic bottles are wasted in Hong Kong alone? On top of that, the Environmental Protection Department found that 27 million pieces of plastic tableware were disposed daily in 2018 by Hong Kong people (Green Earth). What is worse is that only 5.7% of all plastics were recovered for recycling from municipal solid waste in 2021 (HKFP).
2. Think twice
Similar to the previous point, it is all about shifting our mindsets, and hence behaviour. Let's ask ourselves before buying any form of single-use plastic: do I really NEED it and are there other alternatives instead that I can use? By thinking twice before buying, we are reducing the impulse purchases and adding intentions behind our consumption behaviour. Although this doesn't sound like much, you would be surprised by how much you can start reducing your waste! On top of that, you are also going to be saving money from not spending on unnecessary items.
3. Plan ahead
If you know you are going out for a meal and are not feeling too hungry, why not bring your own Tupperware? Or, if you are planning a picnic day with your friends and/or family then plan to carry your own cutleries. This applies to your groceries days and bringing your own reusable shopping bag too! The key in this tip is to be as organised and aware of your day as you can. Our personal top tip is to store additional reusable shopping bags, water bottle and Tupperware (the items we use the most) in our offices, so that even if we forget to bring them from our house, we would still have access to them. Plastic waste takes up so much space anyway, we might as well minimise it as much as we can.
4. Recycle
We mentioned earlier how little recycling actually gets done in Hong Kong. That is why reducing and reusing should take priority in our plastic consumption behaviour, and why recycling takes fourth place in our reduction tips. Although recycling is not the most efficient form of reducing plastic waste, it is still better than nothing. If you are limited in your access to reusable items and are in need for it, of course buy it. The importance behind this tip is simply to dispose it correctly. Here is guide created by Sustainbl Planet to share with us more tips on how to recycle in Hong Kong.
5. Speak up
As CHOMPions, it is also our duty to participate in the movement of rendering our beloved city of Hong Kong more green. If you ever notice a lack of access to recycling bins or poor management of waste disposal, then why not think about starting a petition? You can even write a letter to the local government to voice out your concerns. Here is the link you can follow to submit a complaint.
