Private and public sector initiatives to reduce plastic waste in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is among the top producers of plastic waste per capita in the world. A survey in 2023 ranked Hong Kong as number 5 in the whole world for its plastic production per capita.

Plastic waste production around the world

A recent survey in 2020 by Hong Kong’s Environmental Protection Department shows that 2,312 tons of plastic were sent to Hong Kong landfills per day (equal to 843,880 tons/year). Only 102,000 tonnes were recovered for recycling that year, accumulating to a total of 945,880 tons of plastic waste in a year.

A comparative look at per capita annual plastic waste in select economies around the world (by kilogram/person)

Initiatives by Greenpeace

In response to the growing output of plastic waste, the NGO Greenpeace has been pushing out initiatives and advocating for more stringent policies to reduce the use and waste of plastic in Hong Kong, starting with a focus on microplastics in skincare products and then expanding their initiatives to tableware used in restaurants and the overt packaging of products in supermarkets.

The campaigner of Greenpeace, Leanne Tam, said: "We will be releasing a regulation on disposable plastic-wares to facilitate restaurant's understanding towards environmentally friendly packaging."

Greenpeace urges three major fast-food chains in a Plastic-free campaign. They should the giants should ‘Do more! Save more!’ – taking the lead of doing more on eliminating single-use plastic utensils by providing effective incentives to customers. (Image source: Greenpeace)

In a public consultation in 2021, Greenpeace and other groups concerned about the environment signed a petition to gain public support in implementing policies against disposable plastic tableware.

They were successful in their petition, and the first phase of control of disposable tableware use will take effect starting from April 22, 2024.

Greenpeace foresaw that biodegradable tableware would become the primary option for restaurants, and they have been pushing the use of reusable cups so that consumers have an option for non-disposable tableware.

Microplastic Pollution in Inland Waters of Hong Kong (Image Source: Greenpeace)

"It is the businesses' responsibility to provide a non-disposable option for tableware to customers; only then will we be able to achieve zero waste," said Tam.

The Co-founder of Bijas, a vegetarian buffet restaurant inside the University of Hong Kong, Thomas Ling, said: "The major problem restaurants are facing is the lack of knowledge on which materials are biodegradable and also sustainable to use. Especially for hot drinks, which can easily melt the paper tableware."

"For an average restaurant, it is troublesome to use reusable tableware since there would be an additional step of washing them and an increased time cost as restaurants won't be able to put food into boxes beforehand during the rush hour," said Thomas.

Greenpeace initiated a pilot project called reusable cups in 2022, in which over 4000 disposable cups were saved, and the return rate of reusable cups was 99%. The scheme has been implemented in over 35 restaurants in Hong Kong.

According to Tam, the progress is slow, but it is cumulative, and the results of this scheme show that reusable tableware in Hong Kong is practical and achievable.

However, Thomas raised doubts over the practicality of the scheme: "Do you think customers will be willing to download different apps to use reusable tableware each and every time they go to a new restaurant? I doubt so."'

He said both the private and public sectors are churning out different apps for the same cause. However, a standardized app for all restaurants using reusable tableware would be more effective in attracting people to use the app.

Reusable containers

Instead of biodegradable single-use utensils, pilot schemes are promoting their reusable counterparts.

"They (biodegradable utensils) seem more environmentally friendly, but the problem is still on the 'disposable' part," said Amy Lai, the Chief Operation Officer of ReCube, a private initiative providing lunch box rental services. "They are being produced and thrown away in one go, which doesn't really reduce the carbon footprint."

Taiwan banned dispensing disposable plastic cups for dine-in customers as early as 2002. They have pushed it further to a complete ban on polyester-disposable cups since January 1, 2023. For a country with a vibrant night-food culture, these regulations immediately impact people's lifestyles.

Jockey Club has placed a lunchbox-borrowing machine at each of the eight UGC-funded universities. (Image source: Abe Wong)

"Renting and returning utensils sounded unhygienic," said Chan, a 14-year-old local student. Having said that, she supported the ban in light of the marine pollution she had learned from school. "There is a lot of plastic waste in the streets, and maybe things will get better if it (disposable plastic-ware) is banned."

While the "cleanliness" of single-use tableware remains unclear, reusable alternatives are less frightening than people think. Consider a dine-in scenario where customers are re-using the forks, spoons, and dishes owned by the restaurant. The concept of sharing utensils is happening in our everyday life.

"The government should introduce a reward scheme to encourage the people," said Lai. She thinks larger entities like the government and chain restaurants should lead the change.

"Individual's decisions are largely affected by policies made by them (the larger entities like the government and chain restaurants)," said Lai.

ReCube has been running their business since the start of 2023. They have recorded around 1,500 total usages up till October 2023.
The government launched the Plastic-Free Takeaways campaign on November 17, 2023, allowing citizens to collect and redeem rewards with the points collected by renting utensils with the same mobile application, "Green$".

Vox pop: How do people view Hong Kong's plastic policies?

Restaurant's Take

Utensils renting is a novel idea for local restaurants. Because it requires people to download an application and scan a QR code, it adds to the time to process each order.

Bijas has been collaborating with ReCube since the beginning of the year. They have not encountered any significant operational issues in adaptation.

"I heard from other restaurant owners that they are not sure about the portion of food (to put into the box)," said Thomas. He pointed out that restaurants that sell prepackaged food, especially those containing several types of appetizers, will need help accommodating.

What is expected from the government?

The Hong Kong government has set up an online information platform for restaurant owners to browse different utensil providers according to their needs.

The public can also acquire information about reusable tableware rental services on the same website.
Since the Product Eco-responsibility Amendment Bill is implemented in a step-by-step plan, there will be a lot of details for restaurants to catch up with in the coming decade.

"Execution (of this bill) is not a problem," said Ms Wong, a 30-year-old coffee shop owner. "But at least you (the government) need to give us some guidance and support instead of a 'take care of it by yourself' attitude."
Wong and her husband have not yet dug deep into the details of the regulation, but they stated that they will follow what the chain restaurants do to adapt.

Back in 2018, when one of the giant fast-food restaurants, McDonald's, stopped providing plastic straws in their restaurants, it elicited a broad public discussion about their harsh manner of execution.

"This is a change of lifestyle," said Lai. She thinks an encouraging approach is needed to facilitate such a society-wide transformation.