Free reusable food container vending machines set up at Hong Kong universities as part of plan to cut plastic waste – with no washing-up afterwards

Users pay a small deposit to get food container and can drop it off uncleaned at separate machines on their campuses

Students say convenience and no need to clean the containers after use a major attraction

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A student gets an eco-friendly reusable lunch box from a machine at City University. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Published: 6:04pm, 24 Oct 2023Updated: 8:49pm, 24 Oct 2023

Vending machines that dispense free reusable food containers have been installed at universities across Hong Kong to help cut down on plastic waste.

Users pay a HK$20 (US$2.60) deposit by Octopus card with no time limit on return and there is no washing-up afterwards – the used containers are returned to another machine and cleaned later, it was explained on Tuesday.

The vending machines have been set up in the city’s eight public universities as part of a HK$2.1 million (US$268,475) project funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust designed to promote sustainability in line with the government’s plan to ban plastic tableware next year.

City University (CityU) students said convenience was the biggest attraction of the reusable containers.

Professor Steven Wang, associate vice-president of resources planning, predicts demand for reusable lunchboxes from special vending machines will increase. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Lo Wai-kin, studying for a doctorate in mechanical engineering, said being able to return the container without washing it first was a huge incentive.