Plastic bottle deposit scheme considered for Hong Kong to boost recycling incentives
Fee may be added to drinks and personal care products that can be redeemed when returning plastic bottles for recycling, environment official says
A deposit scheme may be introduced to boost the incentive for Hongkongers to recycle plastic bottles, a top environment official said on Saturday.
The government is also considering actively collecting waste plastic bottles from the community, instead of relying on contractors who have long been reluctant to handle such waste due to its high processing costs.
An 18-month study is also underway to see if a “producer pays” scheme was needed to transfer the recycling costs to the manufacturer, similar to legislation tackling dumped glass bottles.
A lack of sorting facilities in Hong Kong means nearly all waste plastic and paper is shipped across the border for further processing.
