FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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HK government mulls ban on single-use plastic tableware

HK government mulls ban on single-use plastic tableware

HONG KONG - The Environmental Protection Department has launched a two-month public consultation on regulating disposable plastic tableware in a bid to reduce pollution.

In a statement, the department said it is planning to first ban the sale of disposable expanded polystyrene tableware and its use at restaurants.

As for non-expanded polystyrene disposable tableware, the government aims to implement the ban in two phases.

In the first phase, restaurants will be prohibited from providing all types of disposable plastic tableware to customers for dine-in services. They will also be banned from providing straws, stirrers, forks, knives, spoons and plates for takeaway services.

In the second phase, takeaway services will be regulated in the same manner as dine-in services.

The department said places around the world have been committed to discouraging the use of single-use plastic products in view of the imminent problems of marine plastic pollution and climate change.

“As a coastal city, Hong Kong shall not ignore the issue and has to pay extra attention to the problem of plastic pollution and its impact on the environment,” the statement reads.

The public consultation runs until Sept 8.

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