A green group on Tuesday said Hongkongers are ready for a complete ban on plastic tableware in the city and there is no reason for the government to put off such a move any longer.

Disposable plastic straws, stirrers, cutlery and plates will be banned from April, but it will be 2025 or later before other items, such as plastic food and drink containers for takeaways, are outlawed under the government's current plans.

Greeners Action said it surveyed more than 1,100 people from October to November and found that over half were willing to start bringing their own utensils for meals out.

The group’s Beatrice Siu said introducing a territory-wide borrow-and-return system could be an incentive for people to opt for reusable tableware.

“It’s mostly because they find it troublesome and they don’t want to bring any utensils. That’s why I think the government should promote a borrow-and-return reusable tableware system,” she said.

“This can make sure if people want to buy a takeaway but they haven’t decided beforehand, they can borrow these utensils whenever they want.”

Siu said the authorities should implement a complete ban on plastic tableware as soon as possible, instead of waiting until 2025, adding that products made out of recyclable materials such as paper and wood should also be banned eventually.