Starting on Earth Day, April 22, 2024, the first phase of regulating single-use plastic tableware and other plastic products will be launched. What exact types of plastic will be banned? Who will be charged? What will be the penalty if we violate the regulations?
If you’d like to dive deeper into the regulation ban, feel free to check out the following blog for more details.
Table of contents: Single-use plastic ban
- What is the single-use plastic ban?
- Single-use plastic ban: Phase 1 measures starting from April 22 in Hong Kong
- What items are the exceptions to the single-use plastic ban?
- Single-use plastic ban: The law regulates businesses, not individuals
- Single-use plastic ban: What are the penalties for a violation?
- Single-use plastic ban: Learn more about the ban from “Cut the Plastics”
- Will the single-use plastic ban work?
- Frequently asked questions: Ban on single-use plastic
- Related articles
What is the single-use plastic ban?
The single-use plastic ban law was passed by the legislative council in October 2023. The regulation includes prohibiting restaurants from providing or selling 9 types of disposable plastic utensils and banning hotels from providing toiletries. Certain everyday plastic items, like cotton swabs, glow sticks, and umbrella covers, will be prohibited from sale, except in specific circumstances.
The single-use plastic ban will be divided into two phases. Each phase will have a different set of prohibited products, and they will be launched accordingly.
| Types of disposable plastic tableware | Phase 1 (from April 22, 2024) | Phase 2 (tentatively in 2025) |
| EPS tableware, straws, stirrers, cutlery (forks, knives, spoons),
plates |
Prohibits the sale to end-customers | |
| Prohibits the provision at catering premises to customers for dine-in and takeaway services | ||
| Cups | Prohibits the provision at catering premises to customers for dine-in services | Prohibits the sale to end-customers;
Prohibits the provision at catering premises to customers for dine-in and takeaway services |
| Cup lids | ||
| Food containers | ||
| Food container covers | ||
Single-use plastic ban: Why do we need to reduce disposable plastic?
Speaking of reducing disposable plastic products, authorities have once again highlighted that plastic takes a long time to decompose and can stay in the environment for a long time. It can also break down into tiny pieces called microplastics, which can cause a lot of damage to the environment, ecosystems, and human health. (To make matters worse, microplastics can be stored in animals’ tissues and consumed by the human body.)
That’s why there is an international agreement on reducing and eliminating plastic, and many places, including Hong Kong, are taking stronger actions to reduce the use of plastic and find alternatives.
Single-use plastic ban: Phase 1 measures starting from April 22 in Hong Kong
Starting from the first phase on April 22, 2024, the sale of foam utensils, straws, stirrers, plates, and eating utensils will be prohibited. Restaurants will also be prohibited from providing these items to dine-in and takeout customers.
Moreover, disposable plastic cups, cup lids, food containers (such as bowls and boxes), and food container lids will be prohibited from being provided by restaurants to dine-in and takeaway customers.
Here is an overview of the banned items:
| Types of Prohibition | Banned Item |
| Sale and free provision | Cotton swabs |
| Balloon sticks | |
| Inflatable air pumps | |
| Glow sticks | |
| Party hats | |
| Oxo-degradable plastic products | |
| Umbrella covers | |
| Food container seals | |
| Plastic toothpicks | |
| Free provision | Disposable toiletries in hotels and guesthouses |
| Disposable plastic bottles of water in hotel and guesthouse rooms | |
| Promotional plastic pack tissues | |
| Non-medical transparent disposable plastic gloves | |
| Manufacturing | Oxo-degradable plastic products (regardless of disposability) |
The phase 1 ban on plastic for medical uses
Can hospitals and clinics continue to provide plastic spoons for children or patients to take medicine? The answer is yes. Such disposable plastic products fall under medical treatment or medical procedures according to the law and are therefore exempt.
What items are the exceptions to the single-use plastic ban?
Hotel plastic toiletries: Must be charged
According to the authorities, hotels are not allowed to give away plastic toiletries for free. However, they can offer these items if they charge for them separately. Hotels are also permitted to offer non-plastic toiletries for free.
Guests can also bring their own toiletries without breaking the law.
Takeaway containers: No foam containers or disposable utensils
After April 22, restaurants can still offer plastic cups, bowls, and lunch boxes, along with lids, for free to customers who want to take away their food. However, they cannot provide plastic forks, knives, or spoons. Foam containers, including cups, bowls, and lunch boxes, are also prohibited.
Additionally, disposable utensils and plastic food containers cannot be provided to customers dining in.
Other items
- Pre-packaged food and drinks, such as disposable plastic straws attached to paper-packaged drinks, instant noodle cups, and disposable plastic eating utensils provided inside ice cream cups, etc.
- Retail and catering establishments provide disposable plastic straws to customers with medical needs.
Single-use plastic ban: The law regulates businesses, not individuals
Many citizens are concerned about easily violating the law in their daily lives. The authorities reiterated that the law only regulates the sale or provision of relevant products by businesses, not individuals. It is not illegal for citizens to purchase or use regulated disposable plastic products.
For example, if a restaurant provides plastic forks and plastic knives for takeout orders, it would violate the law. However, it is not illegal for customers to receive or use these plastic forks and knives. It is also not illegal for citizens to purchase disposable plastic products from overseas websites or bring them back while travelling.
Single-use plastic ban: What are the penalties for a violation?
What will happen when someone violates the rules? Anyone who violates the relevant regulations may receive a fixed penalty notice of HK$2,000, with a maximum fine of HK$100,000, issued by the Environmental Protection Department.
Single-use plastic ban: Learn more about the ban from “Cut the Plastics”
The Environmental Protection Department has launched a webpage called “Cut the Plastics,” which provides a range of alternatives for disposable plastic tableware, other disposable plastic products, and disposable plastic items in hotel rooms. This ensures that even after controlling disposable plastic utensils and other plastic products, people’s daily lives will not be greatly affected.
Single-use plastic ban: Alternatives for disposable plastic utensils
If the use of all single-use plastic is prohibited, what other alternatives could we use as substitutes? Here are some of the suggested single-use plastic alternatives:
| Banned Item | Alternative |
| Disposable plastic eating utensils (knives, forks, spoons) | Wooden/bamboo eating utensils, plant fibre eating utensils, paper eating utensils (with water-resistant coating), other eating utensils (e.g., resin-made), reusable eating utensils |
| Disposable plastic straws | Bamboo straws, paper straws, rice straws, and reusable straws |
| Disposable plastic stirrers | Wooden stirrers, bamboo stirrers, and reusable stirrers |
| Disposable plastic plates | Paper plates (with a water-resistant coating), bagasse plates, and reusable plates |
| Disposable plastic cups | Plant fibre cups, paper cups (with a water-resistant coating), and reusable cups |
| Disposable plastic cup lids | Bagasse cup lids, paper cup lids (with water-resistant coating), plant fibre cup lids, reusable cup lids |
| Disposable plastic food containers | Paper food containers (with a water-resistant coating), bagasse food containers, and reusable food containers |
| Disposable plastic food container lids | Paper food container lids (with water-resistant coating), bagasse food container lids, reusable food container lids |
Will the single-use plastic ban work?
Some people hold a sceptical view regarding the effectiveness of the single-use plastic ban. The true impact is still unknown. However, we can still learn from the experiences of other countries.
A study conducted in the US has found that single-use plastic bag bans have successfully reduced plastic bag use and associated litter and pollution. Bans in 5 US states and cities, with a population of 12 million people, have reduced single-use plastic bag consumption by about 6 billion bags per year, according to the research.
Frequently asked questions: Ban on single-use plastic
The Environmental Protection Department answered some common questions; here are the frequently asked questions.
Who will be charged?
The authorities emphasised that the law only controls the sale or provision of relevant products by businesses, not individuals.
Are reusable plastic utensils banned?
Reusable plastic utensils are not affected.
When will the first phase of regulations on the single-use plastic ban begin?
The regulations on single-use plastic include a ban on disposable utensils starting on April 22, 2024.
When will the second phase of regulation begin?
The second phase of regulation depends on the situation.
Who will be charged?
The authorities emphasised that the law only controls the sale or provision of relevant products by businesses, not individuals.
Are reusable plastic utensils banned?
Reusable plastic utensils are not affected.
Is the medical use of single-use plastic banned?
Medical use of single-use plastic is exempt.
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