Hong Kong waste-charging scheme expected to bring in HK$1.79 billion in first year with volume of rubbish to grow slightly
- Environment chief Tse Chin-wan says the income the government obtains will depend on various factors including whether people follow the rules
- Government estimated about half of the population will use the designated rubbish bags
Hong Kong authorities expect a coming waste-charging scheme to bring in revenue of HK$1.79 billion in its first year, with the volume of rubbish estimated to increase slightly, the government’s latest budget has revealed.
Environmental authorities on Friday said they expected residents would need a “long time” to adapt to charging practices in the early stages of the much-delayed scheme, which starts in August after being pushed back again from April.
Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan noted the income the government could obtain would depend on various factors, including whether the public followed the rules, how they adapted to the scheme and if they engaged in cutting their waste.
“We used an estimate that about half of the population would be using the designated bags. That is neither optimistic nor pessimistic,” he told a news briefing.
“The government has [stressed] before that the purpose of waste charging is not to generate revenue by itself. Therefore, we will spend roughly the same amount of money gathered to support waste reduction and recycling activities in Hong Kong.”
The government had earlier predicted the scheme would bring in revenue of HK$867 million, 52 per cent lower than the latest estimate.