The Little Green Ambassador 2009 recruitment scheme was launched here Tuesday to encourage local young generations and their parents to reduce plastics bags usage for a better environment.

A total of 1,300 local retail outlets of the Dairy Farm Group, a leading retailer in Asia which initiated the scheme, will become platforms for students and parents to implement the reduction of plastic bag usage.

From April to June 2009, participating students and their parents will receive a Green Chop on their handbooks when they go shopping at those outlets and do not ask for a plastic bag.

The group expressed hope that they could recruit 400,000 primary school students to become this year's Little Green Ambassadors and inspire their families to take up the habit of bringing their own bags, to use less overall and establish a green family.

According to a recent survey conducted by the group, more than 90 percent of the 754 primary students being interviewed wish to use less plastic bags; 70 percent said their parents always reminded them to bring their own shopping bag and use less plastic bags.

The group said they believe that such educational campaign would help people to build a habit of bringing their own eco- friendly shopping bag and that overall, everyone's environmental protection awareness will be heightened.

In 2008, when Little Green Ambassador was first started, some 30,000 pre-school students were involved and a total of 500,000 plastic bags were reduced in three months.

(Xinhua News Agency March 3, 2009)