“Overall, I don’t think everyone needs to change to the extent that it greatly affects their daily lives.”

The first phase of the ban took effect on Monday and covers styrofoam products and throwaway plastic utensils such as cutlery and straws prohibited for takeaway purchases. Single-use plastic tableware is no longer available to patrons dining in.

Some residents were unfazed, but others complained about the quality of replacement utensils, including customers who were annoyed over using paper straws for drinks because some became soggy quickly.

But Lee said he was “optimistic” over the success of the ban and that many restaurants and usual providers of plastic products were falling in line with the new policy.

Asked about complaints over the suitability of replacement products, he said he hoped quality would improve through “market forces”.

“We are very concerned about whether the supply of replacement products is enough and whether the prices are at a level that residents can afford,” Lee said.

The replacement products would only cost between a few HK cents to 30 HK cents for now, which residents could manage, he said.

Lee said the government would continue to listen to opinions on the policy, including how to provide more replacement options.

Simon Wong Ka-wo, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, earlier said about 70 per cent of his organisation’s 18,000 members had yet to offer alternatives to the prohibited items amid a six-month grace period before penalties began.

He told the Post on Tuesday that he agreed with the city leader, noting that the prices of replacement products would fall as time passed and more of the industry began to adopt the alternatives.

But he noted that residents only had three options in the meantime: they would have to get used to the cheaper non-plastic replacement products, pay more money for higher quality disposable utensils or start bringing their own set of reusable ones.

Some in the industry took a more radical approach to the ban, with one leading representative opting to stop offering takeaway to reduce the hassle associated with the ban.

LH Group CEO and chairman Simon Wong Kit-lung announced on his Facebook page that four of his Japanese restaurant chains Gyu-Kaku, Gyu-Kaku Buffet, Mou Mou Club and On-Yasai would stop offering takeaway meals and focus instead on dine-in customers.

Tourists, business travellers unfazed by Hong Kong ban on single-use plastics

“We do not have a lot of takeaway business anyway, it’s a one-off move to avoid the hassle of the plastic ban,” he said in the post.

More than 4,000 people had “liked” the post within hours, prompting the restaurateur to clarify on Tuesday morning that he was not opposed to the government’s plastics ban.

“Some suggested that my reaction was ‘soft resistance’ or opposing the plastic ban. No, no, no, no, absolutely not,” he said.

“I’m just saying that there are multiple ways to reduce the use of disposable plastic, including dining in, or using reusable cutlery at home or in the office. It depends on your situation and what works for you.”

He argued that while paying for a set of disposable cutlery was the law-abiding way, it was still not the most environmentally friendly option.

But he said the ban was “not the end of the world” as many had argued and dining in was an easy alternative.

Additional reporting by Ambrose Li