Watchdog's checks confirm the sense in buying refills - mostly

Ayra Wang

Opting for refills can save consumers up to 30 percent on shopping bills, according to the Consumer Council.

A recent analysis by the council found that nearly 75 percent of refills are, pound for pound, cheaper than the original products.

That took in pricing data for 125 refills and their original packaging for personal and household goods in both online and brick-and-mortar stores last month.

The consumer watchdog found that 92 of the refills were priced lower per unit than in the original packaging, with savings ranging from 0.1 to more than 30 percent.

For instance, disinfecting wipes for toilet seat cost HK$1.19 each, 36.4 percent less expensive than the original price of HK$1.87.

"Significant savings can be achieved in the long run by purchasing these refills," said Kenneth Chan Kin-nin, vice-chairman of the publicity and community relations committee.

However, the council found that about 26 percent of refill products were actually more expensive than their original counterparts, with the price differences varying between 0.1 and 22 percent.

Some of these differences were due to discounted prices on 17 original-packaging items during the survey.

Chan urged manufacturers and retailers to provide better pricing incentives for consumers to choose refills.

The council also recommended that manufacturers enhance refill packaging.

It said that some refill containers are made of composite materials, such as aluminum foil pouches, which cannot currently be recycled in Hong Kong and contribute to higher carbon emissions during production. Optimizing carton space to reduce the number of cartons needed for transportation was another suggestion.

In its comparisons, the watchdog visited 12 local stores selling packaging-free or refillable products. They found that many did not provide adequate product information, such as expiry dates or detailed ingredient lists.

"Retailers should improve the visibility of detailed product information, both in-store and online, to help consumers make informed choices and avoid buying unsuitable items," Chan added.