Editorial | Removal of Hong Kong’s bins just makes matters worse
- With Hong Kong households struggling to recycle waste and a charging scheme yet to be introduced, the city needs to think again
By the second half of the new year, Hong Kong is supposed to have a waste-charging scheme in place to help end the city’s dependency on scarce landfills. But as we said farewell to the old year, there was disappointing news about how the pandemic and controversial changes to citywide recycling efforts have pushed that goal further out of reach.
The Environmental Protection Department has been encouraging people to use centralised recycling stations, but many residents have found them to be too remote.
Environmentalists now warn of a one-year recycling hiatus, because residents will find it too difficult to handle their recyclables as old bins vanish and before new programmes are in place.
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Plastic-eating superworms with ‘recycling plant’ in their guts might get a job gobbling up waste
It is a disappointing setback after seeing a surge in waste output during the pandemic, from masks discarded on roadsides and takeaway food containers piling up in our landfills.