Hong Kong will not set a “hard deadline” for the second phase of its disposable plastics ban, having learned from the resistance to a proposed waste tax, the city’s minister for the environment has said.
Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan was speaking in Cantonese on a Commercial Radio program on Friday, after the first phase of Hong Kong’s disposable plastics ban officially took effect on Tuesday following a six-month adjustment period.
Restaurants had the half-year period to phase out certain single-use plastics including disposable plastic cutlery and straws. The Environmental Protection Department on Monday called on businesses to “take action as soon as possible to comply with the legal requirements.”
Tse said on Friday that a more eco-friendly culture had begun to take root, though many remained hesitant to carry their own reusable cutlery. High-quality alternatives were still needed, “as we don’t want to punish people by forcing them to use a bad product,” Tse added.
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.
Tse also said that EPD officers had begun inspections following the grace period, and had found that most restaurants were compliant with the new regulations. The authorities will assist those who have not phased out banned products, for instance, by providing information on how to buy eco-friendly alternatives, he added.
Businesses that continued to sell plastic utensils, however, would receive warnings.
No ‘hard’ deadline
According to the EPD, chain restaurants had reported that 80 per cent of customers had opted out of takeaway utensils, while about 30 per cent of restaurants no longer provided such utensils. That translated into a reduction of 30 million sets of disposable cutlery, the department said.
Tse also said that the government would not set a “hard” deadline for the commencement of the plastic ban’s second phase. “We want to figure out a method that the industry agrees is practicable. That’s when we’ll do it,” he said.
He agreed that the government had learned from the backlash against the city’s waste tax, saying that it valued “public opinion.” The twice-postponed Municipal Solid Waste Charging scheme was shelved indefinitely this May after the authorities conceded that it had become a “public disturbance.”
“When implementing policies, something that we really value is public opinion… Even if we know [the policy] is a good thing, we have to make them understand,” he said.
