Environment affairs chief Tse Chin-wan says the second phase of the city’s single-use plastic ban will proceed only after effective alternatives to banned items have been secured.

Speaking on an RTHK programme on Saturday, Tse hailed the first year of the scheme as a success, with 80 to 90 percent of customers at chain restaurants now spurning single-use utensils when ordering takeouts – a shift conservatively estimated to curb annual utensil handouts by 60 million sets.

While the majority of businesses have adhered to regulations, however, the secretary for environment and ecology noted that 21 eateries faced fines upon inspections, with authorities pledging ongoing enforcement.

Regarding the next phase, which will extend the ban to plastic cups and food containers for takeouts, Tse said that alternatives to these disposable utensils are currently not ideal.

"Regarding issues with takeout food boxes, soup containers and plastic lids, we noticed that while these items generally function adequately for everyday use, problems arise with paper lids for soup containers," he said.

"They tend to detach easily, causing spills, while prolonged exposure to moisture weakens the material, making them pliable and prone to softening," he said.

Authorities, he added, plan to launch trials at major restaurant chains by the middle of this year to evaluate sustainable substitutes.

Tse also said the volume of waste generated in Hong Kong has decreased by 7.5 percent compared to 2021, nearing the goals of the waste charging scheme, the implementation of which was shelved in May.

He said that public awareness of, and participation in, waste reduction efforts have significantly increased over the past year, despite the government's pausing of the charging scheme.

When asked if there is still a need to implement the waste charging scheme, Tse said a review report would be submitted to the environmental affairs panel of the Legislative Council by mid-year and stressed that the government's desire to promote waste reduction and recycling have not diminished.