Hong Kong to reduce number of bins on streets to encourage residents to take garbage home

Environmental authorities will gradually cut the number of rubbish bins on Hong Kong’s streets so residents get into the habit of taking their trash home, officials have revealed while pledging that a proposed household garbage levy will not be delayed further.

But Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan on Friday told lawmakers that authorities would not implement the two policies in tandem as they were worried people might “not adapt too well”.

“We will gradually reduce the number of garbage bins on the street in the hope of changing everyone’s habits,” Tse said at a meeting of the Legislative Council’s environmental affairs panel.

“People travelling overseas may have seen many countries take away kerbside garbage bins and require everyone to take their garbage back to their homes, hotels and places of work. They’ve seen good results.”

Hong Kong had about 11,700 kerbside bins as of March for its 7.3 million population, government statistics showed, compared with San Francisco’s 3,000 for its 815,000 residents and 1,000 in Seoul for 9.7 million people.

The Legco panel on Friday also approved charging residents for their waste starting on April 1, with Tse pledging the launch date would be gazetted in October and not delayed further. The plan was first proposed nearly two decades ago to transform the city’s household waste management.