The city’s disposable tableware ban which comes into force today has spooked small retailers over the price of “sustainable” items. Limited composting facilities is another concern. But NGOs hail the territory for the scope and breadth of measures to cut plastic pollution.
A ban on single-use plastic tableware introduced in Hong Kong today will test the resourcefulness of the city’s smaller eateries, which have been struggling to source affordable alternatives to throwaway plastic cutlery, straws, stirrers and plates.
The ban, the first phase of which came into force on Monday – Earth Day – was introduced under the Product Eco-Responsibility Bill passed in 2019 to tackle the financial centre’s chronic waste problem, and launches four months ahead of a much-delayed plan to charge Hong Kong residents for the waste they generate.