The Environmental Protection Department today released a consultation paper on the Scheme on Regulation of Disposable Plastic Tableware and invited people to send their views by September 8.

The scheme aims to reduce the use of disposable plastic tableware at source with a view to minimising the impacts of plastic pollution on the ecological environment and human health, and helping to reduce carbon emissions to mitigate climate change.

It has proposed the control of disposable expanded polystyrene (EPS) tableware in the first place by banning the local sale of disposable EPS tableware and prohibiting catering premises from providing EPS tableware to customers.

The scheme also proposed non-EPS disposable plastic tableware should be regulated progressively in two phases.

The first phase consists of banning the catering premises providing all types of disposable plastic tableware to customers for dine-in services as well as providing straws, stirrers, forks, knives, spoons and plates for takeaway services.

In the second phase, takeaway services can be regulated in the same manner as dine-in services.

The department said facing the imminent problems of marine plastic pollution and climate change, places around the world have been committed to discouraging the use of single-use plastic products and exploring the use of alternatives.

As a coastal city, Hong Kong shall not ignore the issue and has to pay extra attention to the problem of plastic pollution and its impact on the environment, it added.

Views can be submitted through the dedicated website.