Hong Kong Legislative Council passes the amendment bill on EPR regulations

On October 18, 2023, the Hong Kong government announced that the Legislative Council had passed the Product Eco-responsibility (Amendment) Bill 2023 (Amendment Bill). Once the Chief Executive promulgates the Amendment Bill in the Gazette, unless an effective date is specified, the Amendment Bill will come into force on the date of promulgation. The Amendment Bill released this time is almost identical to the draft released on March 15, 2023. In addition to the addition of phased restrictions and bans on the use of disposable plastic tableware and other disposable products such as food sticks, tumble dryers and dehumidifiers are also be added into the regulation scope of Hong Kong’s Producer Responsibility Scheme (PRS).