Hong Kong restaurants are ready for disposable plastics ban next month, but concerned over costs of alternatives, sector says
- Catering sector pushes back against claims by environment minister that 80 pre cent of small and medium-sized restaurants are not prepared for coming ban
- From April 22, restaurants will no longer be able to offer customers polystyrene products, disposable plastic straws, stirrers, cutlery or plates for dine-in and takeaway
Hong Kong restaurants are ready for next month’s ban on throwaway plastic tableware but are concerned about the costs of shifting to wooden and paper alternatives, catering sector representatives have said.
Simon Wong Kit-lung, the honorary president of the Institute Of Dining Professionals, on Thursday poured cold water on claims made by the environment secretary, who highlighted a survey that found up to 80 per cent of small and medium-sized restaurants were not prepared.
Wong said restaurants might appear “unprepared” because of a six-month grace period which would take effect after the implementation of the ban on April 22.
He added that the trade also had to use up their inventory of plastic materials.
“It wouldn’t be surprising if they found out that many restaurants hadn’t shifted to using wooden tableware,” Wong told a radio programme.
“Wooden tableware can be as much as twice the price of conventional plastic tableware,” he said. “This is why many restaurants would choose to put it off until the last moment.”