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Hong Kong 7-Eleven stores at sixes and sevens over plastics ban with confusion about whether snack bar food can be eaten inside
- The Post tries three branches with on-site snack bars and gets conflicting answers on whether food bought from them can be eaten inside
- Some staff admit they are not aware of the enforcement rules contained in the new regulations
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Customers who want to snack on their favourite food inside 7-Eleven convenience stores might find “dine-in” available at some branches, but get kicked out of others under Hong Kong’s new ban on single-use plastics, the Post has found.
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A Post reporter who visited three shops with on-site snack bars on Sunday got conflicting answers when he asked if he could eat freshly cooked food such as siu mai, fish balls and noodles inside the premises.
One branch in Tsuen Wan refused to allow it, but the other two turned a blind eye as the reporter ate fish balls and siu mai, traditional Chinese dumplings, inside the shops.
Some staff also admitted that they did not know about the enforcement rules contained in the new regulations.
The inconsistent and ambiguous application of the ban was the latest complication after confusion last week over whether supermarkets were allowed to use plastic containers for pre-packaged sushi products.
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The first stage of the Hong Kong ban on single-use plastics came into force last Monday, with restaurants prohibited from handing out items such as plastic spoons, forks and gloves, although a six-month grace period applies.
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