When will Hongkongers stop treating recycling like it’s someone else’s problem?
- Make Hongkongers more proactive in reducing waste – a composting scheme in British Columbia may be a model
The main problem is the attitude of residents. Twenty years ago, I would notice that most people simply treated refuse disposal as “someone else’s job” – and really not much has changed.
But we can all cut the waste going to landfill; aside from proper separation of recyclables, I believe home composting is key. Yes, it takes a bit of effort, but it is absolutely necessary.
I would be thrilled if the government had a composting scheme in place, similar to that of Victoria, British Columbia.
Victoria residents have a small green kitchen compost pail lined with a compost bag, which when full is placed in a bin that is emptied every week by the city. This system reduces Victoria’s landfill load.
There’s little reason Hong Kong couldn’t have a similar system, with dedicated compost collection bins at all residential refuse collection points.