Disney slammed for non-reusable plastic bottle containing plush toy in Hong Kong, accused of acting against own green pledges
- Convenience store chain selling set of Disney plastic bottles, one filled with water and other holding cartoon character plushy
- Green group calls it ‘tip of the iceberg’ for city’s tendency to over-package goods
Disney has pledged on its website to design packaging for reuse, recycling or composting and use plastic containing at least 30 per cent reprocessed content or less harmful materials.
The product being sold throughout the city is a set of two plastic bottles. One is a 530ml (17.9 fluid ounce) bottle filled with mineral water, while the other contains a plush toy. The set is labelled with a confirmation that it is “authentic licensed merchandise from Disney”.
But the packaging does not say how much of the material used was from recycled items. It also does not indicate the type of plastic used to produce the bottle and the base of the toy.
The bottles were manufactured by local company Transform Water. A label that reads “Disney 100” is affixed to the product, indicating it was specially made to celebrate the company’s centennial anniversary. Another message on the product reminds consumers to recycle the bottles after use.
Well-known cartoon characters, such as Mickey Mouse, Elsa from Frozen and Sulley from Monsters, Inc., are also shown on the packaging.
Greenpeace campaigner Leanne Tam Wing-lam said the product was an extreme example of a tendency to over-package goods in Hong Kong.
“This is only the tip of the iceberg. When you go to supermarkets, convenience stores and department stores, there are more,” she said.