The cost of raw materials has surged to a historical high, placing companies in the plastics industry in a difficult position as profit is depressed. The industry is also facing immense pressure from environmental groups, which criticise plastic packaging as environmentally unfriendly and a major factor behind the problem of municipal solid waste. Yet they have overlooked the fact that plastic packaging is widely used mainly because of its reasonable cost and the quality and convenience it offers. As the image of plastic packaging has been damaged, there is a trend that it is being replaced by other materials.
Nevertheless, with the development and innovation of plastics technology, modern plastics materials will emerge, bringing new development opportunities to different industries. The FHKI has been playing a vital role in helping Hong Kong industries deal with policy changes in the Mainland, I hope it can continue such efforts.
