Four in five Hong Kong country park visitors back removal of rubbish bins by end of year
But half of respondents in survey by environmental group favour gradual phase-out, with many citing difficulties of taking away raw or cooked food
Four of five visitors to Hong Kong’s countryside back the removal of rubbish bins from public hiking trails by the end of the year, but half favour a gradual phase-out, a survey has revealed.
Environmental group Green Power also found that half of respondents still opted to dispose of trash in bins when they were available instead of taking them outside the parks as recommended.
The average hiker produced about one to two items of trash and the top three categories were food packaging (70 per cent), tissue paper (68 per cent) and plastic bags (49 per cent).
“While the amount of waste attributed to each hiker may seem negligible, the accumulative consequence is not,” Henry Lui, the group’s senior conservation manager, said. He stressed that most of the produced litter was avoidable had people used fewer disposable items and brought food that generated less waste such as rice balls and sandwiches.
While bins collect litter, they can also contribute to environmental problems, Lui added. Overflowing receptacles are a common sight in country parks during weekends and holidays.