Environment | DSPA in regular contact with police on reusable bottle initiative

The Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) has told the Times it will remain in regular communication with the Public Security Police Force (PSP) on the effectiveness of their joint reusable bottle distribution campaign.

In April, the DSPA announced that it would distribute reusable drinking bottles for police officers for daily use.

According to the environment authority, until recently a total of more than 6,000 bottles have been distributed to the PSP.

The campaign is being conducted as a type of experiment, the DSPA said, serving as an example for other government departments on how to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic.

Last week, the Times reported that some police officers have found the environmentally-friendly water bottles inconvenient and have chosen not to use them. They said that the bottles were too small and that water-refilling facilities were not sufficient in number, nor strategically located.

The officers also said that it was not convenient for them to leave their posts to obtain water.

On this, the DSPA said that improvements to the facilities have been ongoing since last year. Negotiations were held with government departments such as the Financial Services Bureau, the Municipal Affairs Bureau and the Sports Bureau, to encourage them to provide adequate water-refilling facilities.

The DSPA also provided information on the installation and maintenance of the facilities, it told the Times.

Meanwhile, as the government often holds large-
scale events, the bureau has encouraged its counterparts to reduce the use of disposable plastic bottles on such occasions, as well as during daily operations.

The DSPA explained that guidelines on the installation and maintenance of water dispensers were made public on its website. With regard to the water bill subsidy for the owners of water-refilling facilities, the bureau said it was not in a position to comment. Staff reporter