Hong Kong should get into habit of dismantling bigger waste items before charging scheme comes into effect, minister says

Environment minister Tse Chin-wan also says government’s ‘traditional’ promotion methods not adequate after postponing pay-as-you-throw scheme launch

Government will do test runs on its own to identify and solve any issues that may arise, he adds

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The pay-as-you-throw scheme has been postponed twice over concerns from community stakeholders. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Published: 1:45pm, 22 Jan 2024Updated: 3:07pm, 23 Jan 2024

Hong Kong’s environment chief has called on residents to make a habit of dismantling bigger items they are throwing out and identifying parts that can be recycled when the waste-charging scheme comes into effect this summer.

Officials would also carry out a trial run of the scheme in April at select government locations and ramp up public education on how the plan would work using videos and demonstrations before its citywide roll-out in August, Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan on Monday said.

The minister was asked by lawmakers about how the public should dispose of larger household waste such as fluorescent tube lights or floor mops after one of his colleagues triggered a backlash online last week by suggesting residents could break the mop handle in two to avoid paying the extra charge for throwing away big items.

“Fluorescent lights can actually be recycled,” Tse said. “As for mops, it is possible to save several up, bundle them together, and throw them out in one go with a single HK$11 sticker.”

Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan says authorities will adopt more straightforward promotion strategies to address public uncertainty over the scheme. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

The scheme aims to cut down the amount of rubbish sent to landfills by requiring residents to buy government-approved garbage bags, sold in nine sizes for 11 HK cents (1 US cent) per litre. Items that cannot fit into bags will require HK$11 labels.