Edwin Lau

Opinion | Charging for waste: Hong Kong needs action, not more procrastination

More than a decade and hundreds of trials after the first public consultation on waste charging, the government still has not adequately prepared the public or recycling facilities. But further delay is not an option

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A “Big Waster” mascot interacts with residents of the Moon Lok Dai Ha estate in Tsuen Wan on April 9. Photo: Jelly Tse

Edwin Lau

Published: 5:30am, 9 May 2024Updated: 6:03am, 9 May 2024

If Hongkongers were asked whether they would be willing to pay for disposal of their household waste based on quantity, most would probably say no. They would say the taxes collected by the government should include basic services like waste disposal.

Driving a shift in public sentiment towards a willingness to pay for waste disposal requires a much stronger and more united push from the entire administration. However, since the concept of waste charging was unveiled by former environment chief Sarah Liao Sau-tung in 2005, the environment ministers that came after her do not appear to have considered this a critical mission.

The first public consultation for waste charging was conducted by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) in early 2012, and 63 per cent of the written submissions supported quantity-based waste charging.

Other general suggestions included the enhancement of waste-recycling facilities and food waste management, as well as continued public education to induce behavioural change. Unfortunately, the authorities seem to have ignored this important feedback.

In September 2013, the Council for Sustainable Development launched the second phase of public engagement to better understand public views on the relevant operational details. The results and recommendations were published in 2014 and submitted to the Legislative Council in early 2015.

This led to a working group consisting of senior officials from the EPD, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Housing Department and Home Affairs Department, with the objective of steering and coordinating the preparation work for the waste-charging scheme. If this group had done its work properly, many of the problems we face today would not exist.