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Hong Kong environmental issues
CommentHong Kong
Edwin Lau
Edwin Lau

Opinion | Hong Kong’s bad old practices on plastic waste continue despite new policies

  • Despite a change in leadership and putting new policies in place, Hong Kong’s efforts to reduce waste appear to be failing
  • The municipal solid waste disposal rate is almost double the target set in 2013, and it is too easy for customers to evade the new plastic bag levy

Reading Time:3 minutes
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A grocery store cashier in Causeway Bay hands a customer a plastic bag on December 31 last year. Hongkongers have started paying HK$1 for each plastic bag at supermarkets, the first increase in the plastic bag levy in 13 years. Photo: Jelly Tse
Edwin Lau

Many people, including me, hoped that some of the undesirable practices of the former administration would improve under the leadership of Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu. Six months in, clearly this has not happened.

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For instance, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has published annual figures on municipal solid waste since 1991. However, publication is getting even slower than before: the 2021 report was not published until December 2022. Such a huge delay in making vital information available to legislators and the Advisory Council on the Environment – the official environmental watchdog – makes it virtually impossible for them to give timely advice.
The department, supported by many professionals, should be well aware of changes regarding disposal trends for various types of solid waste based on the pandemic-affected social and economic scenarios. Even ordinary people can see the huge increase in disposal of single-use meal boxes and plastic bags as ordering takeaway became the “new normal” to avoid Covid-19.

The 2021 report did not reveal much improvement in the city’s waste management. On the contrary, it confirms that the Blueprint for Sustainable Use of Resources 2013-2022, launched 10 years ago, has failed to achieve several key targets including the daily per capita municipal solid waste disposal rate. The target set for 2022 is 0.8kg, but the latest rate has climbed to 1.53kg, meaning Hongkongers are disposing of waste at almost double the target rate.

The three types of waste that are closely associated with our daily activities – food waste, plastic bottles and plastic bags – each recorded increases in 2021 compared with 2020. This was the case even as the government-funded community green stations and stores collected more recyclables in the same period.

06:47

SCMP Explains: How does Hong Kong handle its waste?

SCMP Explains: How does Hong Kong handle its waste?
The Legislative Council and the Ombudsman need to look seriously into the matter. Much time, effort and resources have been devoted over the past 10 years to slashing waste disposal to meet the blueprint target. Yet, the outcome scores a fail.
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