Is “green” cutlery the solution to Hong Kong’s plastic ban?

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Hong Kong is taking a major step in its war on waste by banning many single-use plastics. New rules came into force on April 22, 2024, aiming to cut down on non-biodegradable plastics in landfill sites. Under the first phase of the ban, styrofoam products and throwaway plastic utensils such as cutlery and straws were banned for takeaway purchases. Restaurants are also banned from offering plastic cups, containers and lids to dine-in patrons. But are the non-plastic cutlery alternatives user-friendly? Two Post reporters tried them out.

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[TANHT]

The restaurants should give out bamboo utensils. Bamboo is much more sustainable and there's plenty of it in China!

[RespectOthers]

Eco-friendly but definitely not that user-friendly.

[crush_on_us]

Are straws really necessary? Isn't it possible to drink without them?

[Cheloluis]

At this point I’m kinda OK eating with my bare hands

[unvaccinatedAndPureBlood]

Dumbest idea ever.

How about everyone carry metal cutlery and each place provide a sink for washing?

[hyeung]

Drinking straws definitely cannot be paper-based.
One alternative is bamboo-based straws. They hold up way better than the paper ones.

[coolvania]

We already have similar laws here in Canada and the results have been counterproductive - my friends and I now use more temporary utensils and straws than we ever have before just because the quality is so poor and they break more often than their plastic counterparts ever did.

[yesteryearr]

I don't understand. Countries make serious efforts to cut down on garbage and plastic, and all anyone can do is over analyze and criticize. When I hear people complain about paper straws, all I can think about is they would rather not have a minor inconvenience than make serious efforts to fix the damage we've done to this world. I understand the scope of it seems too big, but come on now...

[openboxtherapy]

This was a very lazy implementation by the government. They had so many years to come up with a solution for alternatives to plastic, instead they set a decree and everyone else has to scramble to find an alternative which ranges from dangerous glues in paper straws to utensils giving way while eating.

[fajarkurniawan]

Paper straw is the lowest humanity can achieve

[pychu]

I was born in the end of the 50s. I remember now, at my much younger age, the paper straw became soft and flimsy at the end of drinking a bottle of soda. So people nowadays have to adapt to the paper utensils or simply not using a straw at all where you can help it. Why not changing the habit by carrying a set of reusable cutleries for take out food outside the home. This could reduce a lot of waste. I imagine the set would not be heavier than a cell phone. This may not be convenient to everyone. If say 50% of the population is willing to change, the impact would be significant, wouldn’t it?

[gametri-eqlj]

or you can wash your plastic utensils

[johnnypham]

4:18 Dollar Store faux stainless steel utensils Bruv

[tonylo]

Lol, the spoon cutting side of his lips. Get real.

People should take their own cutlery to work?

[xanderpiz]

Can confirm, living without single use plastics has turned my country into a dystopia -
Yours sincerely, some random Australian.

[ryanneste]

Cara terbaik adalah membawa alat makan sendiri seperti sendok, garpu, sedotan baja tahan karat, saya biasa membeli kopi tanpa sedotan dengan cara membuka tutup gelas lalu diminum dengan cara diseruput, mungkin hanya saya orang di dunia yang membeli kopi pakai gelas terbuat dari kertas/plastik membuka tutup kemasannya lalu meminumnya dengan cara diseruput😂

[rafaelunplugged]

I don’t think the issue is single use plastic

It’s really single use anything. Even wood chopsticks single use creates tons of waste.

If the culture was to carry a small pack with reusable fork spoon straw - what a change that would make.

[albback]

Have people carry camping dish/utensil sets that are stackable and sealable. Include chopsticks, straw, fork, knife, soupspoon, deep plate and cover, and sealed cup.

[carolalexander]

😅I remember using paper straws as a child. Seems straws haven't improved as they still collapse quickly making sipping impossible

[trung]

Plastic is not the problem . The problem is that people throw away the plastic at the wrong place after used .