Hong Kong‘‘s first environmental levy, aimed at making consumers pay 50 HK cents for a plastic bag, will kick off with a bill to the Legislative Council next month, according to a government source.

The HK Standard reports that the government will table the tax bill in Legco as the first stage of the umbrella legislation, the Product Responsibility Scheme, to encourage the public to use shopping bags and to reduce pressure on the three existing landfills, which are expected to be used up within six to 10 years.

The scheme is one of seven key initiatives mooted by the authorities on the prevention and recycling of domestic waste.

Under the plan, major supermarket chains and convenience stores would be charged 50 HK cents for each plastic bag they order.

The levy is expected to incur extra administrative costs for operators, forcing them to directly transfer the tax onto consumers, the source said.

While consumers are expected to pay 50 HK cents for every plastic bag they request from the cashier, plastic bags used for containing wet goods like fish or tofu will be exempted from the levy.

Uncooperative retailers, that is, those not passing on the levy to consumers, will be penalized with fines - which are expected to match the scope of current ordinances combating pollution, such as waste disposal - ranging from several thousand to hundreds of thousands of dollars

A spokesman for Friends of the Earth, however, said the group is doubtful that the law could be successfully implemented as it would require a large number of inspectors to actually witness a cashier giving out free plastic bags before initiating prosecution.

Local supermarket giants ParknShop and Wellcome declined to comment.

San Francisco‘‘s city council recently imposed a ban on the distribution of free plastic bags at supermarkets