Product Eco-responsibility (Amendment) Bill 2023
The Legislative Council passed the Product Eco-responsibility (Amendment) Bill 2023 for regulating disposable plastic tableware and other plastic products, and for enhancing two existing producer responsibility schemes (PRS) on 18 October 2023.
The Amendment Bill prohibits the local sale of nine types of disposable plastic tableware, and prohibits catering premises from providing customers with such products, with implementation carried out in two phases. In the first-phase regulation, the sale of expanded polystyrene (EPS) tableware and four other types of disposable plastic tableware that are small in size and difficult to recycle or to which there are mature alternatives will be prohibited, and so will the provision of such tableware to takeaway customers. Moreover, the provision of all nine types of disposable plastic tableware to dine-in customers at catering premises will be prohibited. The regulation will be fully implemented in the second phase. Details are summarised as follows: