Food recycling surges at Hong Kong estates even without waste-charging scheme

Asked if shelved waste-charging scheme will be relaunched, environment chief says tools ‘we use are actually secondary’

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A resident of Lung Hang Estate in Sha Tin places a food waste in a machine for recycling. Photo: Jelly Tse

Published: 6:28pm, 14 Dec 2024

The amount of domestic food waste collected at housing estates for recycling has surged twelvefold over the past year, the environment chief has said, while sidestepping a question on whether the government will relaunch a controversial pay-as-you-throw scheme for garbage.

Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan on Saturday described the increase as “a bit of a blessing in disguise”, noting that discussions surrounding the shelved waste-charging scheme had enhanced people’s awareness and made them start to change their behaviour.

The scheme was suspended indefinitely in May after two decades of debate and deliberation following a backlash from politicians, residents and stakeholders in the recycling business.

Asked about the scheme, Tse told a radio show: “The tools we use are actually secondary. What’s most important is that everyone can change their habits to reduce waste and recycle.”

Tse said food waste collected from housing estates had increased twelvefold since last December and by more than 50 per cent compared with May.

Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan has expressed optimism that total waste disposal figures will continue to improve. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Additionally, the overall recyclables collected had also grown by more than 50 per cent since January, he said, without providing exact figures.