People are adapting to plastics ban: CE

Chief Executive John Lee on Tuesday said people are getting to grips with a ban on single-use plastic utensils, a week after it took effect. Speaking ahead of the weekly Exco meeting, he said there are signs of people steadily changing their habits, citing a media report that said two-thirds of people are no longer taking plastic utensils in restaurants. On complaints from some people that alternative cutlery products are of low quality, Lee said he thinks suppliers and restaurants will get better. "Of course during the process there's always room for us to make improvements. For restaurant operators and alternative [utensil] suppliers, I believe [they] will continue to improve their work and they will continue to supply different types of alternatives to disposable tableware," he said. The CE added that Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan will continue to explain the new policy, after questions arose as to whether plastic containers can be used for takeaway food. Lee said authorities will keep an eye on the way people adapt to the initial phase of the ban, as well as the supply of substitute products, before deciding what to do next. While restaurants are now banned from giving out plastic utensils like straws and cutlery, the government had earlier said that plastic containers and cups – which are still allowed for takeaways at the moment – will be banned completely in the next phase of the ban.