Environmentalists are calling for more recycling bins as a survey reveals that most people dump free newspapers after reading them.
In view of the booming market for free newspapers, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong interviewed 1,006 people last month. It found that nearly half dumped the papers in rubbish bins after reading them, while only 32 per cent put them in recycling boxes.
'People don't have a high cognition about recycling and many of them only dump newspapers in ordinary rubbish bins,' DAB co-ordinator Ng Po-keung said.
'Besides, there are insufficient recycling boxes in MTR stations. They are not well-placed and commuters fail to spot them.'
The party urged the government and rail operators to install more recycling bins and review their locations. It also asked the free dailies to carry messages urging readers to use the recycling bins.
The survey found that almost 70 per cent of people read free newspapers. Of these, 85 per cent also bought newspapers.