80 percent of small and medium restaurants not ready for plastic tableware ban: environmental chief

Eight out of ten small and medium-sized eateries have yet to prepare for the upcoming ban on single-use plastic products, regardless of the first phase of the measures commencing next month.

Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan said the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) staff have recently visited 20,000 restaurants to conduct compliance assessments.

It was found that only 20 percent of them have shifted to alternative means of tableware.

Tse said the EPD will visit those establishments shortly to provide support.

He added that the Environment and Conservation Fund is also financing local and green organizations' visits to approximately 7,000 food and beverage outlets during March and April.

They will carry out promotional and educational activities and distribute non-plastic utensils for trial use aiming to assist them in making a smooth transition.

Tse expressed the desire to establish a positive and happy "no single-use plastic" culture, rather than relying solely on strict law enforcement. Therefore, the focus will be on strengthening publicity and education, and fixed penalty notices will only be issued to businesses that persistently refuse to comply.

He further emphasized that citizens will not be breaking the law even if they purchase regulated plastic products, as the control measures focus on suppliers. The general public will not inadvertently fall afoul of the law.

Tse reiterated that based on recent market data, the prices of non-plastic straws, stirrers, knives, forks, spoons, and plates are roughly similar to those of conventional plastic utensils. 

As for the implementation timeframe for the second phase, Tse mentioned that no timetable has yet been set, and the authorities will consider factors such as the effectiveness of the first phase, public adaptation, the prevalence of plastic alternatives, and affordability before making a decision.