Hong Kong ban on throwaway plastic tableware to come into force on April 22 next year, but some lawmakers say move too close to introduction of plastic waste bag charges

Lawmakers say introduction of charges for plastic waste bags few weeks earlier may create confusion over two policies and problems for catering trade

Tommy Cheung Yu-yan, of catering functional constituency, asks for single-use plastic ban to be delayed to give industry ‘some more space’

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Disposable plastic cutlery is to become a thing of the past from next April. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 9:59pm, 18 Oct 2023Updated: 2:04am, 19 Oct 2023

Hong Kong will ban throwaway plastic tableware from restaurants from April 22 next year, a few months later than first planned, after lawmakers approved the legislation on Wednesday.

The ban will come into force just weeks after charging for municipal solid waste bags starts on April 1, and some lawmakers said they had concerns about potential problems from the two policies coming into force in quick succession.

“The close commencement dates will create difficulties for the industry,” Tommy Cheung Yu-yan, of the catering functional constituency, predicted.

“I hope the ban will not be introduced before May 1 so as to give the industry some more space between the waste charging and this ban.”

Lawmaker Tommy Cheung predicts new rules for plastic bags and a ban on disposable plastic items such as cutlery and food containers will cause problems for the catering industry. Photo: May Tse

Cheung also appealed to restaurants to avoid building up stocks of single-use plastics to avoid a breach of the new rules after the law changes and to source alternatives as soon as possible.

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Hong Kong ban on throwaway plastic tableware to come into force on April 22 next year, but some lawmakers say move too close to introduction of plastic waste bag charges

Lawmakers say introduction of charges for plastic waste bags few weeks earlier may create confusion over two policies and problems for catering trade Tommy Cheung Yu-yan, of catering functional constituency, asks for single-use plastic ban to be delayed to give industry ‘some more space’

Lawmakers say introduction of charges for plastic waste bags few weeks earlier may create confusion over two policies and problems for catering trade

Tommy Cheung Yu-yan, of catering functional constituency, asks for single-use plastic ban to be delayed to give industry ‘some more space’