Unpopular waste-charging scheme will remain on the shelf, Hong Kong confirms

Hong Kong has confirmed that a long-delayed waste-charging scheme will remain on the shelf indefinitely, with the government saying the city continues to face economic challenges amid a global tariff war and rising geopolitical risks.

The Environment and Ecology Bureau announced the decision on Tuesday, two months after it was supposed to reveal the scheme’s future by the end of July.

The initiative had already been delayed twice and was originally shelved last May.

Environmental groups said they were disappointed by the government’s decision, with both Greenpeace and The Green Earth urging authorities to set out a clear road map and timeline to restart the scheme.

In a paper submitted to the legislature’s environmental panel for discussion next Monday, the bureau highlighted that the city was facing multiple challenges against the backdrop of a global trade war and an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape.

Feedback over the past few months showed that society did not support the scheme’s implementation due to the current challenges and pressures of economic transformation, the bureau said.