Hong Kong plastics ban calls for publicity, not a delay
- City should promote the move against single-use plastic products to ensure that restaurants and other businesses are ready to comply
The delay until August of the controversial waste charge has given more time for public education and preparation. As the ban on single-use plastic products in late April also draws near, questions have been raised whether restaurants and other affected businesses are ready to comply.
The government should step up publicity to ensure that the ban is not pushed back as well.
Unlike the waste levy, which will have an impact on all households and businesses, the new law prohibits the sale and supply of regulated plastic products rather than governing the acquisition, purchase, or use of certain disposable plastic items in people’s daily lives. While the impact on society is less sweeping, it will still affect takeaway restaurants, hotels and other industries.
So far, the government has no plans to delay the ban. But lawmakers said some restaurants were still unaware of the change.
In response, officials said they had already reached out to some 12,000 small and medium eateries since late last year and intended to visit the remaining 8,000.
Separately, trade-specific promotional leaflets have been distributed to some 11,000 stores, 1,800 hotels and guest houses to help them better understand regulatory requirements.
The European Union has banned 10 types of disposable plastic products, including tableware, straws, stirrers, plastic-stemmed cotton buds and oxo-degradable plastic items since July 2021. Meanwhile, the manufacture and sale of such tableware and plastic-stemmed cotton buds have been prohibited on the mainland since late 2020.
Hong Kong restaurants say plastic ban will cost too much to implement
Given plastics pollute the environment and take years to decompose, Hong Kong must embrace more eco-friendly measures as soon as possible. In 2022, out of the 11,128 tonnes of municipal solid waste disposed of each day in landfills, 2,369 tonnes, or 21 per cent, was plastic waste.
The move to reduce plastic waste is instrumental to cutting municipal rubbish via the pay-as-you-go policy. The government must step up promotion in the coming weeks to avoid further delay in implementing the much-needed green initiative.
