An environmental group is reviving the tradition of wrapping wet-market goods with dried weed.
Greeners Action, formerly known as the Green Student Council, kicked off a campaign yesterday to encourage the practice, which was common in the 1970s and '80s. The project is an extension of the 'No Plastic Bag Day', which the group launched in April last year and is now a monthly event.
The group will give about 250kg of dried weed a month to hawkers taking part in the scheme.
The campaign has received a surprisingly enthusiastic response from hawkers. A total of 130 stalls from six wet markets will take part in the scheme: Yau Ma Tei Market, Pei Ho Street Market in Sham Shui Po, Yue Wan Market in Chai Wan, Hung Hom Market, North Kwai Chung Market, and Siu Sai Wan Market. Although Greeners Action initially limited the invitation to take part to hawkers at the first three markets, the other three asked to be included as word spread.
Most of the hawkers are vegetable sellers, while there are a few seafood stalls.
Greeners Action said government figures in 2005 showed that wet markets and other unclassified retail outlets accounted for 59.3 per cent of the 8.6 billion plastic bags that are dumped every year in Hong Kong.