Hong Kong restaurants serve up variety of utensils with ban on single-use plastics set to take effect
- Smaller caterers opt for alternatives such as rice husk-based containers as first stage of ban on throwaway plastics kicks in
- Restaurant chains largely implemented alternatives ahead of ban, with some charging extra for eco-friendly tableware or offering rebates to those bringing their own
The shift to non-plastic alternatives, most of which are paper- and wood-based, might translate to a few extra dollars on customers’ bills, but some eateries said they would simply stop handing out such cutlery.
Environmentalists, meanwhile, encouraged residents to bring their own reusable cutlery and containers when getting takeaway meals, to reduce waste from the source and the need to fork out more for pricier alternatives.
One restaurant owner said he was reluctant to pass on new costs to customers amid a sluggish economy.
Fine Food Concept, a restaurant in Yau Ma Tei offering HK$36 (US$4.60) meal boxes with a generous portion of rice and two choices from a selection of Cantonese dishes, said it would use boxes and cutlery made from rice husks that cost up to HK$5.20 per set.
Owner Yeung Chi-ming said the move placed a burden on the firm, since its original polystyrene containers and plastic cutlery cost less than HK$3.
