Hold on to the receipts from your next renovation project, because from Friday dumping construction waste into landfills will come at a price.
Contractors will likely handle the fee, but the receipts offer protection if they dump the waste illegally. Under the new scheme, an account must be set up with the Environmental Protection Department for every construction project, even one as minor as retiling a bathroom.
For projects costing $1 million or more, the contractor must register the account, but for those costing less, the owner of the premises can open the account or hire a contractor with a billing account to arrange the waste disposal.
Charges range from $27 a tonne to $125, depending on the type of waste and where it is dumped. The government hopes the charges will encourage recycling and reduce the strain on landfills.
The environment watchdog has also increased monitoring of illegal dumping, carrying out 500 inspections last month, about three times more than usual. More patrols are being planned after the charges take effect. At least three prosecutions were made in December.
Truck operators will be given tickets to present at the gates of the dumping sites, where the waste load will be weighed.
