Editorial | Waste-charging scheme can still be an effective tool for Hong Kong
Officials must not lose sight of the urgency of tackling the city’s overburdened landfills
While the delay of the “pay-as-you-throw” scheme is understandable amid the political realities now facing the government, officials must not lose sight of the urgency of addressing the environmental challenges at hand. The fate of the scheme was cast into doubt last Tuesday after the Environment and Ecology Bureau said it had been put on hold indefinitely amid economic headwinds, including the global trade war.
Some environmentalists have raised concerns that public enthusiasm for recycling could fade without an impending deadline for waste charging in the foreseeable future. Tse said the government was not abandoning the scheme, but rather monitoring to see if current trends mean it is no longer needed. Otherwise, he told lawmakers, “we will need to reconsider deploying the tool of the waste-charging scheme”.
Millions of dollars have already gone into developing the programme since it was first proposed in 2004 and passed by the legislature in 2021. The scheme would require residents to dispose of rubbish in prepaid, designated bags costing between 30 HK cents (4 US cents) and HK$11, with offenders facing penalties or prison time.
It was supposed to have been implemented by 2023, but was postponed to April 2024 amid manpower concerns. Low public readiness was cited for another delay until August that year. Eventually, a two-month trial from April was conducted at 14 locations before that too was shelved amid opposition from residents.