Cafe de Coral, Saizeriya, Super Super Congee & Noodle, and Yoshinoya said they would not use customers’ takeaway containers for hygiene reasons.
Four popular chain restaurants in Hong Kong have refused to use customer’s own containers for takeaway, citing hygiene concerns. Photo: Yik Yeung-manBefore you read: More than 25 per cent of the 15 popular chain restaurants surveyed in Hong Kong refused to accept customers’ own containers for takeaway meals, with many citing food safety and hygiene as reasons. City’s Consumer Council suggested eateries formulate better policies or guidelines for the practice and reinforce staff training
Think about it: Besides bringing your own containers when you buy takeaway meals, how can you play a role in reducing plastic waste and promoting sustainable practices in daily life?
A recent survey by the city’s consumer watchdog has revealed that four out of 15 popular chain restaurants in Hong Kong refused to accept customers’ own containers for takeaway meals.
Posing as regular customers, staff from the Consumer Council visited 15 chain restaurants during peak lunch hours in August and September.
While 31 out of 45 attempts to use personal containers were successful, four chains – Cafe de Coral, Saizeriya, Super Super Congee & Noodle, and Yoshinoya Hong Kong – rejected their requests.
The four restaurants later said they would not collect customers’ containers due to food safety and hygiene concerns. The SCMP has contacted them for comment.
The council’s chairman, Victor Lam Hoi-cheung, expressed disappointment over the rejections.
Importance of sustainability and boosting Hong Kong tourism
“Staff at one eatery specified that they did not accept self-brought containers with a slightly impatient tone and did not expound when trialists asked for the reason,” he said, referring to Cafe de Coral.
Super Super Congee & Noodle, which offers the option to bring your own container (BYOC) on its online ordering platform, had already packed the food in takeaway boxes when the council employees arrived. Restaurant workers said they did not accept outside containers.
The restaurant later explained that there were errors in the options provided by the ordering platform, which had been amended, according to the watchdog.
One interesting case was Yoshinoya Hong Kong. Their staff suggested that customers order a dine-in meal and request separate bowls for rice and other components. This way, diners could transfer the food into their own containers. Lam praised this approach as a commendable practice that other restaurants could adopt.
Need for clearer guidelines
The council reported that staff members had better luck at eateries that had joined the government’s BYOC Eateries Scheme.
The employees made 15 attempts to use their own containers at five chains taking part in the scheme and were successful 87 per cent of the time.
Lam said some of the eateries might have been unable to accommodate the request due to the high staff workload during peak business hours. He suggested that eateries formulate policies or guidelines for BYOC practices that consider food safety, crowd management, operation procedures, and environmental protection.
“Eateries should reinforce staff training to ensure the capability to work with BYOC consumers,” he said.
The council also advised customers to clean and dry their containers before bringing them to restaurants and to hand them to staff immediately after ordering.
Legislation that took effect in April prohibits eateries from offering polystyrene tableware or plastic cutlery for takeaway and dine-in services.
The second phase of the law, which is expected to launch next year, will ban disposable plastic cups and containers for takeaway.
The second phase of the law, which is expected to launch next year, will ban disposable plastic cups and containers for takeaway.