Hong Kong move to ban plastic cutlery leaves restaurants fretting over supply, cost of eco-friendly alternatives
- Restaurant owners call for government subsidies to defray extra cost of eco-friendly cutlery
- With first phase of ban coming in 2025, some ask for clearer guidelines on what is acceptable
At Hong Kong’s award-winning Yung Kee restaurant in Central, a chef picks out a glistening, charcoal-grilled roast goose drumstick from a rack, skilfully chops it up and places it in a cardboard box, separate from the steaming hot rice.
He clips the cover into place to prevent spillage, and the signature dish, which has been attracting customers from far and wide for decades, is ready for delivery.
The disposable box, made of recycled paper and stamped with the restaurant’s logo and designs using biodegradable colours, was introduced by the restaurant in 2017 after three years of trial and error.
But with a new government plan to ban disposable plastic in restaurants from 2025, even a trailblazer such as Yung Kee will have to find ways to do better.
One of the few restaurants in Hong Kong using eco-friendly boxes and cutlery for takeaway services, it still uses plastic spoons and a recyclable plastic container for soup and dishes with gravy.
Under the Environmental Protection Department’s two-stage proposal announced last month, the city will first ban the sale and use of disposable expanded polystyrene (EPS) tableware, and food establishments will not be allowed to offer throwaway tableware or disposable plastic plates, cutlery, straws and stirrers.