Producer Responsibility Scheme on Plastic Beverage Containers and Beverage Cartons
The Government is maintaining close liaison with various stakeholders to address trade concerns to fine tune the operational details of the Producer Responsibility Scheme (PRS) on Plastic Beverage Containers and Beverage Cartons. We are in the progress of drafting the relevant legislative proposal for the PRS.
Why introduce the PRS on Plastic Beverage Containers and Beverage Cartons?
Waste plastics constitute about 20% of our municipal solid waste disposal. Amongst the waste plastics, about 6-7% are plastic beverage containers. The Government is preparing to introduce the PRS on Plastic Beverage Containers and Beverage Cartons, with a view to turning waste into reusable resources and reducing the impact on the environment.
Progress
The Government conducted a Public Consultation on introduction of the PRS on Plastic Beverage Containers from February to May 2021, during which over 4 600 submissions were received. The community responded positively to the proposal in general. Having considered the views received, the experience in other places and the development of the local recycling market, the Government will adopt a “market-led approach” for the implementation of the scheme, and will include beverage cartons in the scheme, which in turn will help enhance the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the recycling arrangement. The Legislative Council (LegCo) passed the “Promotion of Recycling and Proper Disposal of Products (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2025” on 23 July 2025, establishing a common legislative framework for PRSs applicable to different products. Formulating the PRS on Plastic Beverage Containers and Beverage Cartons involves extensive implementation details. The Government is maintaining close liaison with various stakeholders to address trade concerns to fine tune the operational details, and, based on the actual situation, will consult the Panel on Environmental Affairs of the LegCo on the relevant subsidiary legislation in 2026. Besides, to pave the way for the implementation of the PRS, we launched the Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) Pilot scheme in the first quarter of 2021. The RVMs provide an instant rebate ($0.1 per plastic beverage container) via e-payment platforms to encourage the public to recycle plastic beverage containers.