Twenty-one restaurants were fined for repeatedly failing to comply with the single-use plastic ban as Hong Kong marks one year since enforcing the law on Tuesday, the Environment and Ecology Bureau said.

In a Facebook post, authorities said that following a six-month grace period of the plastic ban legislation expired, they received 122 relevant reports or complaints as of mid-April, and most of them have rectified their approach after a follow-up.

Only 21 eateries were slapped with a fixed penalty ticket of HK$2,000 due to persistent violations despite receiving a written warning, the post read.

The bureau also listed its efforts to aid the transition, including inspection of 48,000 food establishments, retail stores, and hotels, organizing training seminars and setting up hotlines to support businesses through the plastic ban.

“Restaurant chains reported that over 80 percent of customers no longer require disposable takeaway utensils, potentially preventing over 60 million sets of plastic utensils from being dumped into landfills annually,” the bureau wrote.

To advance the next phase of the plastic ban, authorities plan to collaborate with major restaurant groups in mid-2025 to conduct product tests in various dining environments to identify the most viable green alternatives for single-use plastic utensils.

“While reducing plastic usage is essential for protecting health and the environment, authorities must balance it with the affordability, availability, and practicality of alternatives.”

The legislation to curb single-use plastic waste first came into effect on April 22, 2024– exactly a year ago – with a six-month adaptation period.

The first phase prohibits the sale and distribution of some single-use plastics such as straws and cutlery, as well as styrofoam food containers. The second phase is expected to extend the ban to include plastic cups, food containers for takeout.

The government has yet to set an implementation date for the second phase, and was gathering views from industry stakeholders on the matter, Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan said in a written reply to lawmakers last week.
(Jamie Liu)

21 eateries slapped with $2,000 fine as HK marks one year of plastic ban