Social impact assessment of the Regulation of Disposable Plastic Tableware in Hong Kong

Concerning the forthcoming implementation of the Disposable Plastic Tableware Regulation in Hong Kong, the Social Impact Assessment approach can help decision-makers and government agencies predict and forecast the potential impacts of the regulation before its actual implementation. This study aims to 1) identify the potential impacts of the Regulation of Disposable Plastic Tableware in Hong Kong, in multiple aspects and through the eyes of multiple stakeholders; 2) analyze the interlinked relationships among these potential impacts; and 3) generate mitigation measures and monitoring plans to minimize the adverse impacts. Two rounds of questionnaires were collected from 11 experts using the Delphi method, followed by a community survey used to reach a wider population. The survey gathered opinions from 507 restaurant owners and 500 members of the general public. A cross-impact analysis was then conducted to analyze the complex interactions of impacts within and across different impact categories. These analyses inform the development of mitigation strategies and plans to monitor and prevent potential adverse impacts.