It took one metric tonne of CO2e to fly me from London to the Hong Kong International Airport, which is equivalent to 33,233 boiled kettles (https://ecologi.com/flights/results). That’s a lot of tea! Unfortunately, it was simply unavoidable. It wasn’t like I could swim there (right?). Alas, the flight it was and my unused efforts for swimming were relocated into considerate thought. Hong Kong is widely known for its vibrant dining and takeaway culture. Food is an easy and delicious way for people to connect with one another. Buying ready-made food or going to a restaurant allows families, friends and coworkers to spend time together over bowls of meaty broth. It’s cheaper than cooking, but what’s the cost?
The UN preaches for Responsible Consumption and Production (https://sdgs.un.org/goals), but during my semester abroad I felt that I was walking into a trap. Typically, my hot food would be poured into a thin plastic container, thrown into a plastic bag along with cutlery sealed in plastic. And don’t forget the receipt, coated in plastic polymer and stuck onto the bag with, you guessed it, shiny tape. Although Plastic Smart Cities (https://plasticsmartcities.org/hong-kong/) describes Hong Kong’s pledge to switch to green, the process may be long, requiring a public shift in values. Furthermore, with takeaway being relatively inexpensive compared to individual items at the supermarket, the choice between finances and values becomes difficult. Food and finances are both issues that the charity Feeding Hong Kong preaches awareness and change for. They write of how 21% of Hong Kongers live below the poverty line, and yet 30% of landfill waste is food (https://feedinghk.org/education/food-the-big-picture/).
But what’s this got to do with breaking the law? I’m getting there!
Living like this was unsustainable for both the environment and my conscience. Financially, I couldn’t stop eating out, but I could try to reduce my use of single waste plastics. Thankfully, guidance from Earth Day’s website helped me seek an alternative to some of this single waste plastic (https://www.earthday.org/campaign/end-plastics/). I stopped buying bin bags and started reusing my takeaway bags, and I bought a portable cutlery set that I could easily switch out for the plastic provided. A simple switch like this can keep ‘200 tonnes of plastic tableware (from) being disposed of daily in Hong Kong’ (https://plasticsmartcities.org/hong-kong/). One-time cost, long-term benefit.
This felt fantastic, of course. That is, until I tried to bring my reusable set through airport security where I was promptly stopped for breaking aviation security and local public carry laws. You see, my set was complete with a handkerchief, chopsticks, a spoon, a fork and (regrettably) a knife. A knife as tall as my thumb and as sharp as a coin. Now that I’m back in London, am I still carrying my metal cutlery set? Yes! – although my knife remains with the Hong Kong airport security.
