The first phase of Hong Kong’s single-use plastic ban was slated to take effect on 22 April 2024, coinciding with Earth Day. However, to ease the transition towards non-plastic alternatives for the city’s hospitality and F&B businesses, the government introduced a six-month grace period to allow for more widespread adaptation and the accessibility of non-plastic alternatives.
As the grace period ended on 21 October 2024, Phase 1 of the ban officially came into effect to include all plastic containers, cups, cutlery, and plates. What this means is that any restaurant or hotel found to be in breach of the new rules will be issued a written warning, requiring the improvements to be made within 10 working days. Failure to comply after the 10-day period will result in a HK$2,000 penalty.
As restaurants and hotels now have to comply with the ban, let’s take a look at how Phase 1 of the plastic ban has affected Hong Kong’s businesses and consumers so far.
How Phase 1 Has Affected Hong Kong
The items restricted in Phase 1 include:
Plastic tableware: straws, stirrers, cutlery and plates for dine-in and takeaway
Plastic food containers: single-use plastic cups, cup lids, and food containers
Plastic stirrers and straws: across all businesses, including restaurants and coffee shops
Hotel amenities: free plastic toiletries and plastic water bottles in hotel room
In an interview with the RTHK, Kenneth Cheng, the director of Environmental Protection (Waste Reduction) at the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), said, “The department estimates that 30 million fewer sets of disposable cutlery than usual have been given out by the catering sector since the ban took effect in April.” In 2022, the EPD’s data revealed that 21% of the municipal solid waste (MSW) in Hong Kong is plastic. That’s about 2,369 tonnes of plastic landfilled daily, weighing the equivalent of six Boeing 747 aircrafts. In comparison, in 2023, plastic waste in Singapore reached about 957,000 metric tonnes and accounted for 14% of the city’s MSW. However, it is noteworthy that Hong Kong does have a higher plastic recycling rate at 14% compared to Singapore’s 7%.
Urgency of the Plastic Ban in Hong Kong’s Context
With its urban density and coastal location, Hong Kong faces a unique set of environmental challenges. Plastic pollution poses a serious threat to marine life and overall ecosystem health. Microplastics have been found in Hong Kong’s coastal waters, impacting marine life and even entering the food chain.
A study by marine environmental scientists from the City University of Hong Kong found that around 3.2 billion pieces of minuscule plastic pollutants, possibly originating from synthetic clothing fabric, plastic bottles, and packaging, flow from Hong Kong’s drains into the sea every day. In an interview with the SCMP Young Post, Professor Kenneth Leung Mei-yee, director of the laboratory and supervisor of the study, said: “Microplastics in the air and on the soil will get washed into drains when it rains, so when rainfall is higher, more plastic gets washed into the system.”
And plastic pollutants in the city’s storm drains are particularly hazardous to the environment as rainwater flows directly from storm drains into the sea without any processing. Said Professor Leung: “Studies have shown that microplastic fibres will affect marine invertebrates because their digestive system becomes blocked by these plastics, resulting in a drop in population. Microplastics also affect the photosynthetic abilities of marine plants. All these impact the food chain directly.”
The impact of Hong Kong’s plastic pollution isn’t limited to marine ecosystems. According to the findings of a research by Greenpeace, 85% of five types of wild mammals in Hong Kong – buffalo, boar, cattle, macaques, and porcupines – had ingested microplastics in countryside areas. Implementing stricter bans on single-use plastics can lead to innovations and the increased availability of affordable sustainable plastic alternatives. Case in point: a report by the nonprofits Environment America, U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund, and Frontier Group found that the plastic bag bans in three states and two cities in the US, with more than 12 million people combined, have cut single-use plastic bag consumption by six billion bags per year – the number of plastic bags needed to circle the earth 42 times.
The success and effectiveness of the plastic ban is crucial to achieving the waste reduction goals set out in the government’s Waste Blueprint for Hong Kong 2035: reducing the per capita MSW disposal rate by 40-50%, raising the recovery rate to about 55% by implementing MSW Charging (suspended on 27 May 2024), moving away from the reliance on landfills for direct waste disposal by developing adequate waste-to-energy facilities etc.
According to statistics provided by the EPD, Hong Kong’s plastic waste problem has worsened. While the MSW in 2022 decreased by 2.0% when compared to 2021, the proportion of plastic waste in the total amount of MSW increased by 1.6% from 2021 to 2022. However, it’s worth mentioning that the rate of MSW recovered for local recycling saw a drastic increase of 51% from 2021 to 2022, and the amount of plastic waste recovered for local recycling increased by 16% during the same period.
The Challenges Businesses Face
Higher Costs for Sustainable Alternatives
The costs of biodegradable or reusable products—such as bamboo cutlery or compostable containers—are significantly higher than single-use plastic items by 20-30%. This could impact the bottom line and exacerbate the challenges in the struggling F&B industry, especially for smaller businesses.
Operational and Logistical Adjustments
Many sustainable products require changes in how businesses operate, from sourcing new materials to adjusting packaging processes. For example, restaurant owners had difficulty sourcing suitable plastic alternatives that could withstand moisture and high temperatures, a pain point felt by many F&B businesses of cooked food.
Customer Satisfaction Concerns
Customers are accustomed to the convenience of single-use plastics. Some business owners fear that replacements may not meet the same standards of durability or usability. For example, paper straws would get soggy and disintegrate quickly.
How Businesses Are Adapting
The new regulations push businesses to adopt sustainable alternatives, and the city’s F&B establishments are gradually replacing single-use plastics with biodegradable or reusable options, like bamboo cutlery and compostable containers, and some are partnering with food delivery service companies like foodpanda to have their food orders delivered or picked up in reusable packaging.
Many hospitality and F&B businesses are using the transition as an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to corporate social responsibility, ESG (environmental, social, and governance) performance, and sustainability strategies. Some have launched their own plastic-free initiatives, further highlighting the significance of this regulatory change.
At Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, single-use plastic bottles are replaced by glass bottles, with the used glass bottles collected for recycling and reuse through its partnership with Swire Coca-Cola HK. But small businesses are putting in the work, too. For example, a café named Sp.Ace Cafe & Kitchen provides a dining utensil rental service, where customers can pay a deposit of HK$50 for container rental on takeaway orders and those who bring their own reusable containers enjoy a HK$3 discount on each meal.
How Consumers Can Help
Hong Kong’s journey to sustainability is a collective effort. Consumers play a critical role in helping hospitality and F&B businesses accelerate this transition, and there are plenty of ways to support the movement:
Bringing reusable cutlery and containers when ordering takeaway.
Supporting businesses that have gone plastic-free or provide sustainable options.
Being vocal about the importance of sustainable practices with friends, family, and social networks.
These small changes in daily habits can make a big difference and will be crucial as Hong Kong continues to phase out plastics.
What’s Next?
Phase 1 is a significant step, but Hong Kong’s endeavour to drastically reduce plastic is far from over. As the city works to build a more sustainable future, potentially introducing more waste reduction initiatives, staying informed and engaged will be essential for everyone—from government bodies and businesses to consumers.
The next phase, Phase 2, has no certain implementation timeline, but the EPD has stated that “The second phase of regulation will be further implemented after fully considering the maturity, popularity, and affordability of relevant non-plastic alternatives.”
The plastic ban isn’t just about restrictions; it’s about rethinking our relationship with disposable products and embracing a new mindset toward sustainability. Whether it is reaching waste reduction goals by 2035 or carbon neutrality goals by 2050, the key to success is continued collective and collaborative efforts from the government, businesses, and the community.
Find out how your hospitality and F&B business can be a leader in sustainability by complying with the plastic ban and going further beyond. If you are interested in leveraging the plastic ban to kick-start or accelerate your organisation’s sustainability journey, email us at hello@greenhospitality.io. We are happy to explore bespoke advisory and training services that suit your organisation’s needs.