How fewer rubbish bins can help reduce waste in Hong Kong
Wendell Chan says the government is right to cut the number of bins on the streets, but the move must be part of a holistic ‘zero waste’ strategy
Can we really not live without rubbish bins? To align with the inevitable waste charging scheme, Hong Kong’s Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has announced the move to introduce new bins with smaller openings and also reduce their number on the streets. Aside from criticism about the new design, some people think Hongkongers will be more inclined to litter with fewer bins around.
Vanishing rubbish bins and rotten attitudes: Hong Kong’s struggle to stay clean
I am baffled by this logic. We have some 42,000 rubbish bins, significantly more than our neighbours. That is almost one bin for every 180 people. In Taipei, it is one for 1,200 people. Claiming that streets would be littered if we take away bins implies that Hong Kong is so uncultured we cannot even be responsible for our own actions, which I sincerely hope is not the case.
Rubbish bins serve as beacons for litter. Store trash somehow finds its way into these orange bins. Recyclable waste, like cans and bottles, may also end up there. By some bizarre law of physics, litter also has a tendency to gravitate towards overfilled bins. This is not only unsightly, but is also a hygiene issue. The convenience of rubbish bins makes us less aware of the litter we create.
The decision to reduce the size of bin openings is, however, puzzling. Overfilled bins did not stop people from tossing their litter next to them before. Smaller openings will just encourage people to build an island of trash around the bins.