Major drink retailers in Hong Kong are undermining efforts to reduce waste by preparing beverages in throwaway containers before pouring them into customers’ reusable cups, the Consumer Council has said.
The consumer watchdog said on Monday that it had conducted an investigation spanning November to December of last year, with McDonald’s McCafe and 7-Eleven’s 7CAFE named among the main culprits.
The council said the practice defeated the purpose of customers bringing their own cups for takeaway drinks to reduce waste, noting the organisation had conducted 60 checks across 20 chains – visiting three different branches for each brand.
Researchers found that staff at all three visited McCafe locations used disposable paper cups to prepare drinks despite customers explicitly saying they wanted to use their own containers while ordering.
Responding to the findings, a representative for the McCafe chain told the council that its bring-your-own-cup service was only available at restaurants with dedicated McCafe pickup counters.
The chain added that customers needed to specifically request the service when ordering.
The Post has contacted McDonald’s for further comment.
