Hong Kong campaign groups appeal for disabled and chronically ill to be given free rubbish bags after waste charging scheme starts

Appeal comes after survey shows some vulnerable groups will pay much more than the average because of high use of disposable medical supplies

One association for disabled says it is ‘unfair’ that the disabled and sick may have to pay up to four times more for bags than a regular household of four people

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Campaign groups have appealed for the disabled and chronically sick to be given free rubbish bags when a waste charging scheme kicks in next year. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 8:52pm, 27 Dec 2023Updated: 10:18pm, 27 Dec 2023

Disabled people and those with chronic conditions should get free rubbish bags after a Hong Kong waste charging scheme comes into force next year, campaign groups have said.

The appeal came after a survey released on Wednesday showed that some disabled people would have to pay four times more than a regular household for government-designated plastic bags because of their heavy use of disposable medical supplies.

“The waste charging scheme is unfair to people with severe physical disabilities or chronic illnesses,” Steve So Wing-tung, the vice-chairman of the Direction Association for the Handicapped, said.

“We understand the importance of the policy, but if our needs are not taken into consideration, we would only fall victim to it.”

A demonstration of how much space disposable medical waste takes up is made as campaigners call for free rubbish bags for disabled and chronically sick people. Photo: Sun Yeung