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.

“But our business is mainly serving the low-income group. We do not want to burden them either, so we will only charge HK$2 or HK$3 more for seafood and beef dishes, the rest will remain unchanged.”

Yeung said cheaper utensils made from paper and wood were not viable as they could hardly tolerate the food’s high temperatures.

The first phase of the ban takes effect on Monday, prohibiting styrofoam products and throwaway utensils such as cutlery and straws at takeaway spots. Single-use plastic cups and boxes will also no longer be available to patrons dining in.

Throwaway plastic containers are still permitted for takeaway orders at this stage, provided they are not made from styrofoam.

The ban has a six-month grace period, with enforcement actions only being taken if repeated advice is ignored.

Superman Roast Goose in Causeway Bay, which offers a two-dish-and-rice combo for HK$35, replaced its polystyrene boxes with microwaveable plastic ones for the cost of 20 HK cents extra.

The manager of the eatery, who only gave his name as Chen, said it had yet to source an eco-friendly alternative for its disposable plastic spoons.

“We may switch to disposable wooden spoons or simply stop giving out spoons, as most people only need chopsticks,” he said. “We have no plan to raise the price, it’s not practical when our business is so dull, we used to have long queues outside our shop, but they are long gone.”

Major restaurant chains, meanwhile, have largely finished preparations ahead of the ban.

Cafe De Coral Group said it had started charging takeaway customers HK$1 for non-plastic cutlery at all 380 of its outlets last Tuesday.

Restaurant group Fairwood started offering patrons a HK$2 reusable package of stainless steel utensils, while Maxim’s Group will charge HK$1 for its bagasse cutlery and offer rebates for those bringing their own utensils, cups and containers.

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Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades president Simon Wong Ka-wo said at least 30 per cent of the industry had completely ditched plastic cutlery and polystyrene containers ahead of the ban.

“The rest are actively preparing for the shift, like getting quotations from suppliers, but they had to clear the remaining stock first, otherwise they will go to waste,” he said.

“Some smaller businesses may want to take it slowly because shifting to non-plastic alternatives immediately will be too expensive.”

But some diners were far from happy about the shake-up and potential price increase.

One restaurant patron who wished to stay anonymous slammed the government for putting pressure on them.

“There’s no price increase right now, but I think it’s inevitable. If each meal goes up by HK$2 and I buy it every day, won’t that be an extra HK$60 a month?”

Cheung Man-kei, a 17-year-old student, said she did not mind switching to non-plastic utensils as long as the price increase stayed within the range of HK$10 per meal.

But she admitted that using a paper straw was troublesome since it became soggy too fast, forcing her to finish her drink as quickly as possible.

Retail worker Wong Tsz-huen said she preferred plastic utensils to wooden and paper ones offered by restaurants.

“The paper spoons will quickly become soggy in hot soup, which means I have to rush my meal … but wooden spoons are often too shallow to use,” the 41-year-old said.

But Wong said she was unlikely to bring her own utensils because it was too inconvenient to clean them every time, adding: “It’s easier to just bear with it.”

Steven Chan Wing-kit, assistant environmental affairs manager at The Green Earth, encouraged residents to bring their own utensils to further reduce waste.

“Corporates can also consider buying some reusable utensils for their employees to eat takeaway in the office, which will be more convenient,” he said.

The first phase of the ban also covers products with non-plastic alternatives, such as cotton buds, umbrella covers and glow sticks.

Hotels and guest houses will be barred from supplying free toiletries in synthetic disposable containers and free in-room water in plastic bottles.

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Businesses that breach the ban face a maximum fine of HK$100,000. They may also receive a HK$2,000 fine under a fixed penalty system.

The second phase of the policy is expected to launch in 2025 and will ban plastic table coverings, gloves and floss sticks, among other items.

Director of Environmental Protection Samuel Chui Ho-kwong last week said he was confident the first stage would be implemented smoothly.

Public environmental awareness was increasing as some major fast-food chains were seeing about half of their customers opting to order takeaways without cutlery, he added.

Chui urged businesses to use their stock of regulated products during the grace period to avoid wastage and source suitable alternatives as soon as possible.