Some Hong Kong firms struggle to replace single-use plastics as end of ban grace period nears
Although official data shows 95 per cent of businesses in retail and hospitality have made switch, checks on the ground paint more complicated picture
Some Hong Kong restaurants and hoteliers, especially smaller operators, are still struggling to replace items such as disposable spoons and razors despite a grace period for a single-use plastics ban coming to an end in two weeks.
The transition was also uncomfortable for an alternative utensil supplier, who lamented declining sales even as the government said most players in affected sectors had adapted to the new rules.
Data also showed that 95 per cent of businesses in the retail and hospitality sectors had made the switch, according to the department.
“Chained restaurants indicated that around 80 per cent of their customers chose not to require takeaway cutlery, and about 30 per cent of restaurants no longer provide any takeaway cutlery,” it said.
While most restaurants in the neighbourhoods of Sham Shui Po and Wan Chai had switched to providing non-plastic utensils, some smaller ones were still offering plastic cutlery and straws, according to checks by the Post on Wednesday.
A hot-and-sour noodle shop in Sham Shui Po’s Dragon Centre distributed a set of wooden chopsticks, a plastic spoon and a plastic straw to the Post.
