Hong Kong’s single-use plastics ban: lovers of fried chicken ditch gloves at KFC, Jollibee to avoid poultry sum of HK$1
- Some patrons opt to get hands dirty eating fried chicken at popular fast food chains to avoid paying for gloves as new single-use plastics ban gets under way
- One diner says glove-free ‘the right way to eat fried chicken’, but another buys a pair as she feels more comfortable heading to work afterwards in beauty industry
Customers using self-service kiosks at a KFC outlet in Causeway Bay on Monday were notified before checking out that plastic gloves were no longer available free of charge, but could be bought for HK$1 (13 US cents).
But some patrons shrugged off the change, coming prepared with wet wipes or simply washing their hands afterwards at the restaurant.
“Using your hands to pick them up, bite into the meat and lick the bones and fingers is the right way to eat fried chicken. It makes the whole experience more flavourful,” said engineer Dominic Lai Chi-yung, 36.
“And you can always wash your hands after you eat. That’s the way to reduce the use of plastic ultimately. Paying for gloves is just not necessary. It’s just not realistic.”
Fanny Lo Cheuk-kiu, 32, a skin product and cosmetics saleswoman, was among the few who bought a pair of gloves for lunch at the Percival Street outlet, simply because it felt more hygienic for work.
“Even though I wash my hands all the time, it just feels cleaner psychologically as I need to put product samples on my customers’ skins. I don’t think a dollar matters at all,” Lo said.
