Hong Kong, July 9 (DPA) Plastic bag use in Hong Kong has dropped by 85 percent in the first two days since the introduction of a 6 US cents tax on every bag, a survey released Thursday showed.

The number of plastic bags handed out in 18 supermarkets during a peak shopping hour before and after the introduction of the ban fell from 2,742 to 403, the environmental group Greeners Action said.

At the same time, the group said, the number of people who used their own bags or did not ask for plastic bags at checkout stands at the surveyed supermarkets grew by 56 percent.

A tax of 50 Hong Kong cents has been levied since Tuesday in about 2,000 shops, including every major supermarket, in the high-rise city of 7 million people.