Last straw for plastic tableware as ban set for April
The government will ban the sale and use of some disposal plastic tableware in Hong Kong from April 22 next year, following Legco’s passage of a bill on product eco-responsibility on Wednesday. In a two-phase scheme, the government will first prohibit the sale and use of disposable expanded polystyrene tableware at catering premises, as well as disposable plastic straws, stirrers, cutlery and plates.  Authorities will also bar the sale and free distribution of other plastic products, including cotton buds, umbrella bags, and hotel toiletries.  As for plastic cups and food containers as well as their covers, restaurants will initially be barred from providing these items for dine-in customers, before the ban is extended to takeaways in the second phase set tentatively for 2025. Offenders will face a fixed penalty of HK$2,000. Election Committee lawmaker Chan Siu-hung expressed support for the phased ban, saying this can reduce the burden on landfills by some 55,000 tonnes every year. Vincent Cheng of the DAB also said Hong Kong should follow the global trend in reducing plastic use.  "We have to make a big step and change our daily behaviour and reduce the use of disposable plastic tableware," he said. "This will be a big change, I believe that after the bill is passed, the government should talk to hotels and relevant trades and do more publicity work to tourists, to minimise the impact brought to the trades." However, legislator Peter Koon said he's concerned that the ban on distributing hotel toiletries could affect Hong Kong's overall image, because it might cause an inconvenience to travellers. He's also worried that businesses might pass on all additional costs to customers and increase their financial burden.