Huge number of rubbish bins in Hong Kong is contributing to waste crisis, says activist

Hong Kong is littered with a huge number of rubbish bins and an activist fears they are actually contributing to the city's waste crisis.

With more than 42,000 public bins scattered across the city, questions are being asked about the need for so many receptacles - far more than any other major city in the region.

This "culture of convenience" contributes little to the city's long-term goal of reducing waste and does nothing to make residents more aware of what they put in landfills, says independent activist Hahn Chu Hon-keung.

"During Occupy [Central], there were so many bins around, they could be used as road barricades," said Chu, a former member of the support group on waste charging at government advisory body the Council for Sustainable Development. "The question that needs to be asked is why we need so many rubbish bins? Does this culture of convenience really benefit Hong Kong?"

The question arises as the government hopes to slash the amount of rubbish generated by 40 per cent by 2020, partly through the planned introduction of waste charging by 2016.

According to data compiled by Chu, Hong Kong has 42,820 bins - six times more than Singapore, 10 times more than Seoul and 14 times more than Taipei.