Sales of approved garbage bags in Hong Kong off to slow start amid lack of consumer awareness about coming waste-charging scheme
- Six Circle K convenience stores did not sell a single garbage bag as of 5.30pm, as several customers say they do not have enough knowledge on waste scheme
- The scheme, initially set to kick off on April 1, was delayed to August by authorities
Sales of Hong Kong government-approved garbage bags got off to a slow start on Friday, with several customers expressing ignorance of the coming waste-charging scheme’s mechanism.
The plastic bags and labels hit the shelves at Circle K convenience stores, Pricerite furniture shops and Pandamart online supermarkets, while some other venues are set to put them on sale next month.
The Post found the bags and labels were not popular among customers as some said it was too early to start buying them to throw away their household waste.
In a Circle K shop in Central, accountant Geoff Koo, 36, was seen taking pictures of the designated bags but decided not to buy them.
“You don’t know whether the scheme will really go ahead this August as the government said. The economy is weak. I don’t want another recurring expenditure in my family budget,” Koo said.
The scheme aims to encourage people to recycle more and cut down on the amount of rubbish they throw out by requiring them to buy government-approved garbage bags, available in nine sizes, for 11 HK cents (1 US cent) per litre. Bag sizes range from three litres (0.79) up to 100 litres.
Designated labels will also be sold for large or oddly sized items.