Hong Kong’s environmental authorities have reminded businesses to comply with a ban on single-use plastics as a six-month grace period came to an end on Monday.
Businesses that have not phased out plastics, including disposable plastic cutlery and straws, were reminded to “take action as soon as possible to comply with the legal requirements,” the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said in a statement on Monday.
Those with unused stock may contact plastic recyclers, the department said.
“In the past half year since the legislation has been implemented, not only has it effectively reduced plastic consumption, but also successfully initiated a trend of waste reduction among members of the public,” the statement read.
The EPD said that chain restaurants reported that 80 per cent of customers had opted out of takeaway cutlery, and about 30 per cent of restaurants no longer provided such utensils. That translated into a reduction of 30 million sets of disposable cutlery, the EPD said.
“This demonstrates that if everyone is willing to change their habits, such as bringing their own cutlery for takeaways, the use of disposable cutlery can largely be avoided in most situations,” the EPD said.
When the ban was introduced in April, some consumers complained that paper straws and eco-friendly utensils were unusable, while environmental NGO Greenpeace last year encouraged the government to promote the use of reusable utensils over disposable tableware.
Greenpeace on Saturday called on Hong Kong authorities and corporations to establish clear reduction and reuse targets, and to set up a dedicated fund to support a reusable utensil borrow-and-return system.
It also called on Hong Kong to join the Global Plastics Treaty, a United Nations-led initiative which aims to establish a common standard on plastic consumption.
The Legislative Council passed the Product Eco-responsibility (Amendment) Bill 2023 last October, with the ban introduced in two phases.
All styrofoam tableware, as well as plastic straws, stirrers, forks, knives, spoons and plates are now banned. Plastic cups and food containers may still be sold and used for takeaway, but cannot be distributed for dine-in purposes.
If a restaurant or hotel is found to be in breach of the new rules, a written warning will be issued, requiring the improvements to be made within 10 working days. If the business fails to comply after the 10-day period, it will be issued a HK$2,000 penalty.
The EPD will take action “based on complaints,” Monday’s statement read.
Establishments that continuously fail to comply with the rules may face fines of up to HK$100,000. EPD Deputy Director Kenneth Cheng told RTHK on Monday morning that “education” would be prioritised over penalties.
Sustainable options
More than 150 “green tableware” suppliers are now listed on an EPD platform, up from an initial 60 since when the regulation was first implemented, the department said on Monday. The number of non-plastic alternatives has grown from over 1,000 to more than 1,700.
The increase in market supply and alternatives had also led to a drop in prices, the EPD said.
The hotel sector has also adapted to the ban, with a medium-sized hotel saving 20,000 plastic water bottles and 30,000 disposable plastic shampoo and shower gel sets within a six-month period.
“After the adaptation period, the EPD will continue to prioritise publicity and education while supplementing these efforts with appropriate enforcement action. Priority will be accorded to the supply sources, with primary efforts directed towards inspecting various retail outlets to ensure that these merchants comply with the law at source,” the department said.
| Control measures | Disposable plastic products | |
| Phase 1 | Phase 2 | |
| Ban sale and free distribution | – cotton buds – balloon sticks – inflatable cheer sticks – glow sticks – party hats – oxo-degradable plastic products (regardless of disposability) – umbrella bags – food sticks – plastic toothpicks | – multipack rings – table cloths – plastic stemmed dental floss |
| Ban free distribution | – hotel and guesthouse toiletries (including plastic-handled toothbrushes, plastic-packed toothpaste, shower caps, razors, nail files, combs, as well as shampoo, body wash, conditioners, body lotions and hand sanitisers packed in disposable plastic containers) and plastic-bottled water provided in hotel rooms – plastic-packaged tissue paper for promotional use – non-medical use transparent gloves | – ear plugs |
| Ban manufacturing | – oxo-degradable plastic products (regardless of disposability) | |
The second phase of the plastics ban, which will come into effect as early as next year depending on “the availability and affordability of alternatives,” will ban all plastic containers, cups, tablecloths, and disposable gloves.
