Hong Kong’s environmental authorities have issued HK$2,000 penalty notices to two restaurants within the first two months of a disposable plastics ban.
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said on Monday it had received 62 complaints about businesses that were not complying with the ban since it officially took effect on October 22 after a six-month grace period.
Under the first phase of the ban, all styrofoam tableware, as well as plastic straws, stirrers, forks, knives, spoons and plates are banned. Plastic cups and food containers may still be sold and used for takeaways but cannot be distributed for dine-in purposes.
In a Monday statement, the EPD said restaurants have “generally complied with the law and adapted to the new regulatory requirements by making corresponding changes in their businesses.”
Penalties
Of the 62 complaints the EPD received, 33 were “still incompliant and had not taken specific actions to rectify after rounds of promotion and education.” The department issued warnings requiring the establishments to make improvements within 10 working days, or a fixed penalty notice would be issued.
See also: Hong Kong restaurants cut waste – and sometimes costs – as plastics ban goes into force
Two separate cases were fined HK$2,000 after they were found to be “persistently incompliant” with the plastics ban.
“Having reviewed the data in these two months after the adaptation period, most of the non-compliance had been rectified within a short period of time, and only two cases with repeated non-compliance records required the issuance of fixed penalty notices at present,” the EPD said.
Last month, the EPD said 80 per cent of customers at chain restaurants had opted out of takeaway utensils, while about 30 per cent of restaurants no longer provided them.
Restaurants have had to face extra costs to replace plastic cutlery and containers with paper ones, though some have stopped using certain items, such as straws.
Suppliers have also called for another adjustment period when the second phase of the plastic ban takes effect, extending the ban to plastic cups and food containers for takeaway orders.
The second phase of the ban was originally scheduled for some time in 2025, but environment minister Tse Chin-wan has said the government would not rush matters following the backlash against the city’s shelved waste tax.
