Hongkongers are not very familiar with government programmes to promote 'green living' and have doubts about the effectiveness of such programmes, a Baptist University survey has found.
Dr Kenneth Wong Koon-kwai, a geography associate professor who ran the poll, said Hongkongers' materialistic views remained an obstacle to better environmental protection.
'It's hard to change people's way of life,' Wong said. 'Hong Kong is a commercial society where the pursuit of profit is highly valued.'
Pollsters interviewed 707 residents by phone in January to gauge public awareness of the initiatives.
Only 3.5 per cent said they were very familiar with the Wastewise Scheme for business, while 85 per cent said they were unfamiliar with or had not heard of it. The remaining 11.5 per cent said they had heard of or were familiar with it.
The rechargeable battery recycling programme fared better, with 26.6 per cent of respondents saying they were familiar with it and 50.8 per cent saying they had heard of or were familiar with it. However, 22.6 per cent said they were unfamiliar with or had not heard of the programme.
