Plans to introduce a problem-plagued waste charging scheme in Hong Kong will be reviewed by the end of May after a two-month pilot scheme and a report will be submitted to legislators, the government has announced.
In response to a query from Ming Pao, the Environmental Protection Department said on Thursday the pilot scheme which started on April 1 would continue for two months, and authorities would submit a report to the Legislative Council on May 27.
Authorities in January postponed full implementation of the waste charging scheme from April 1 to August 1, citing “public concerns”. Instead, they launched a trial run across 14 locations starting from April 1 but did not specify how long it would last.
The waste tax, an idea introduced in 2005 and passed into law in 2021, is designed to reduce the volume of domestic waste to ease pressure on landfills, and promote recycling by requiring people to pay for what they throw away through the use of designated bags.
Pro-establishment lawmaker Lau Kwok-fan told Ming Pao that he expected the government to announce on May 27 whether it would roll out the scheme as scheduled.
The scheme has stirred debate over the past month. Pro-establishment heavyweights criticised it as “Mission Impossible” and urged the government to abandon or delay the roll-out.
Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk said on Wednesday the government should win the public’s support for the scheme before introducing it city-wide, InMedia reported.
“So far we’ve seen many problems emerging,” Cheuk said, “I think when we roll out the waste tax, we should have the public’s support and consensus on the scheme, because it’s a policy affecting a population of over seven million… We should make sure conditions are ripe and therefore implementation will be smooth. “
Promotion, not penalty
Former environmental officials, experts and NGOs are urging the government not to further delay the scheme.
Christine Loh, former under secretary for the environment, said on HK01 on Friday it had always been difficult to introduce environmentally-friendly policies but she believed the waste tax had gained public support during nearly 20 years of debate about it.
She criticised the over-emphasis on penalties when the scheme was introduced. “From the beginning, they [the government] emphasised penalty and enforcement. For such a large-scale campaign… shall we adopt a softer way to promote it?”
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