According to the consumer center, the majority of refill samples turned out to be cheaper than the pricing strategy on the original packaging, which effectively helps consumers save costs and protect the environment.

Many consumers are accustomed to purchasing refillable products in the hope of saving money and supporting environmental protection.

In July of this year, the Consumer Council compared the original and refill unit prices of 125 everyday items in three major supermarket chains.

In addition, the Council selected 12 “Shop Naked” stores selling packaging-free or refillable products and conducted mystery shopper visits for four types of personal and household items.

The consumer center found that in almost 75 percent of the samples, the individual prices for refill packs were cheaper than the original prices. In some samples, the difference was even more than 30 percent. This suggests that consumers can save money by purchasing refill packs.

The consumer protection organization urges manufacturers and retailers to take environmental protection into account when setting prices for mines.

While refill packs were found to have a lower carbon footprint, the Council also noted that some refill packs use composite materials such as aluminium foil bags, for which there is no reliable recycler in Hong Kong and therefore may not be recycled.

The Consumer Council also pointed out that in recent years so-called “naked shopping” offers have emerged, i.e. the purchase of products without pre-packaging.

However, they found that some “naked shopping” stores do not display detailed information about the ingredients, shelf life, etc. of the products.

The Consumer Council also stated that few local brands offer refill packs and hopes that manufacturers will accelerate the development of refill pack and naked shopping markets and introduce more environmentally friendly packaging and transport methods.

In addition, retailers are encouraged to provide more product information and discounts to encourage consumers to purchase everyday goods and avoid waste.