The situation has prompted calls from a retailers' organization for the bag tax to be applied in all shops across the city. Latest government figures reveal shoppers shelled out HK$3.2 million for 6.4 million plastic bags since the 50 HK cent levy was imposed earlier this year. The Hong Kong Retail Management Association expressed disappointment.

It predicted yesterday that the overall drop in usage for 2009 will only reach 6 percent.

The HK$3.2 million was collected by 21 major retailers between July 7 and September 30 this year.

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It goes straight into government coffers.

At present, only 4 percent of all retail outlets are subject to the levy, including the big supermarkets.

The association has members in more than 5,000 outlets employing about half of the local retail workforce. It says despite a cut in the number of plastic bags distributed, the reduction in usage is small.

"Retailers have all along been led to believe the 4 percent coverage [of retail outlets] is only a start. The reduction in plastic bag usage has been modest and the government should extend the levy to include all retail outlets," association chairwoman Caroline Mak Sui-king said.

Since the association introduced the "Every Day No Plastic Bag" voluntary campaign in March, 90 million plastic bags were saved as of June. Mak said some small retailers cannot afford computerized or new cashier systems to handle the levy.

The association suggests they should be allowed to collect the cash and submit it to the Environmental Protection Department, as is being done by one shop in Wong Tai Sin. It also called on the government to honor a pledge to conduct a comprehensive review of the effectiveness of phase 1 of the scheme.

Environmental group Greeners Action said the new figures show the scheme has been implemented successfully. It added that there should be no more delays in extending it to newsstands and bakeries.