Hong Kong residents say waste-charging scheme ‘disruptive’, only fifth use required rubbish bags in trial: government

Feedback from 750 participants shows some waste reduction and relatively high use of designated rubbish bags in restaurants and government premises

But public and private residential buildings achieve little waste reduction, with low bag utilisation rates of 20 to 50 per cent

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A cleaner carts rubbish bags at the refuse area of On Ning House in Tseun Wan, one of 14 sites that participated in the waste-charging trial. Photo: Eugene Lee

Published: 5:57pm, 24 May 2024Updated: 7:16pm, 24 May 2024

Hongkongers taking part in the city’s waste-charging trial have found the scheme “disruptive” and “expensive” with a survey showing as few as 20 per cent of residents at certain sites using designated rubbish bags in the pilot programme, according to environment authorities.

The findings were detailed in a paper submitted to the Legislative Council on Friday by the Environment and Ecology Bureau, after district councillors gathered feedback from 750 stakeholders including residents, cleaners, property management operators and businesses.

However, the government did not announce any changes to the scheme, which is set to roll out citywide on August 1.

According to the survey, most residential buildings and shopping centres saw no difference in the amount of waste thrown out since the trial began, while restaurants, care homes and government premises recorded a reduction of 10 to 20 per cent.

Among the 14 pilot sites, restaurants and government buildings were mostly in full compliance when it came to using designated bags required by the management, while the utilisation rate at shopping centres was about 70 per cent.

But the rates for households were much lower, with the average utilisation rate at public and private residential buildings ranging from about 20 to 50 per cent. Utilisation rates at ‘three-nil’ buildings – those without maintenance companies, owners’ corporations or residents’ organisations managing them – stood at about 20 per cent.