Deep Dive: Hong Kong authorities warn against fake rubbish bags ahead of launch of waste charging scheme, while disability groups plead for financial assistance

Hong Kong residents can purchase government-approved rubbish bags carrying labels of authenticity from more than 3,000 designated stores and online platforms starting next month, the city’s environment minister has said.

Authorities earlier launched an investigation into allegations that internet users were selling trial versions of the designated rubbish bags months before the roll-out of the waste charging scheme on April 1.

“The designated bags are printed with labels containing anti-counterfeiting features, allowing people to easily tell whether they are fake,” Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan said. “I urge the public to avoid buying the bags from unknown sources. We will cooperate with customs to step up inspection and law enforcement against the selling of fake bags.”

More than 3,000 authorised online platforms and sales points would start selling the designated bags and labels from next month onwards, the Environmental Protection Department said.

Tse said they included supermarkets and convenience stores and hoped they could be sold in management offices of housing estates, with details to be announced later this month.

On online forums, posts circulating showed pictures of a green garbage bag available for sale online, with the title “Designated bag for Hong Kong municipal solid waste charging next year”. They were imprinted with characters “For trial only”.

A spokesman for the department said authorities suspected that the rubbish bag was a dummy one, which the department had provided to participants for trial projects aimed at cultivating new waste disposal practices. The project commenced in 2018 and was completed in 2023.

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He highlighted that the trial bags were not allowed once the scheme came into effect. The department has completed registering trademarks for the design of the bags and labels to guard against counterfeit products.

Any person who sells or possesses counterfeit goods could be fined up to HK$500,000 (US$64,000) and be sentenced to five years imprisonment.

The department said it had also notified customs of the findings of their follow-up investigations.

Government data showed that each Hongkonger disposed of 1.53kg of waste per day in 2021, more than other major cities.

Staff writers

Question prompts:

1. Where can residents buy the government-approved rubbish bags?

(1) online forums
(2) supermarkets
(3) convenience stores
(4) private housing estates

A. (1) and (2) only
B. (2) and (3) only
C. (3) and (4) only
D. (4) and (1) only

2. What could be the penalty for buying fake rubbish bags?

3. Using News and Glossary, explain why the anti-counterfeiting features on the bags’ labels are necessary.

Question prompts:

1. What is the overall goal of the six areas of action?

2. Based on News, which of the following areas does the Hong Kong government need to concentrate on to ensure the waste-charging scheme is a success, and why?

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• Survey shows some vulnerable groups will pay much more than the average because of high use of disposable medical supplies

• Environmental Protection Department says exemptions for particular groups would undermine the “polluter pays” principle of the waste charging scheme

Disabled people and those with chronic conditions should get free rubbish bags, campaign groups have said.

The Direction Association for the Handicapped in early December surveyed 100 people with severe physical disabilities, 49 patients with chronic conditions and 31 carers, and found more than 90 per cent of them used disposable medical supplies.

Almost 30 per cent of those surveyed said they needed to use more than five five-litre plastic bags, at 60 HK cents each, each day. That added up to more than 150 plastic bags a month at a cost of at least HK$90.

Steve So Wing-tung, the vice-chairman of the association said that some people would need to fork out more than HK$140 monthly if they used up to eight bags every day.

That would be four times the cost that a household of three to four people would pay using predictions made by the government’s Environmental Protection Department.

“We have to use multiple small bags to handle the trash due to hygiene reasons,” So, who is disabled, explained. “It is impossible for us to store the garbage [in a huge bag] and dispose of it all at once … and those products are not recyclable or reusable at all.”

So said the association had approached the Environmental Protection Department, the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Social Welfare Department and the Office of the Ombudsman, but were only advised to “squeeze the trash bag” to free more space.

Lui Man-lam, the president of the Hong Kong Neuro-Muscular Disease Association, said he was also worried that hospitals and care homes might charge patients and residents more after the new waste scheme started.

The groups appealed to the government to hand out the government-approved rubbish bags free of charge to those in need and let their doctors decide how many they needed.

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They added district councillors and members of community care teams should be deployed to publicise any free rubbish bag allowance to people who may not be reached by other methods.

The Environmental Protection Department said it understood that some may need to dispose of more waste for a variety of reasons, but exemptions for particular groups would undermine the “polluter pays” principle of the policy.

The department said there was no provision in the legislation that would allow the government to provide free rubbish bags specifically for disposable medical items.

Officials added that exemptions of that kind would also create administrative and enforcement problems, because it would be difficult to verify the identity of individuals.

Staff writer

Question prompts:

1. What are some concerns raised by the campaign groups regarding those who are disabled or have chronic conditions?

(1) They may have to pay more for hospital visits and care homes.
(2) They cannot simply throw away their used medical supplies as they need to follow a specific disposal process.
(3) They may have difficulties disposing of the rubbish bags.
(4) Some may have to pay up to four times more for bags than a typical household of four people.

A. (1) and (2) only
B. (2) and (3) only
C. (3) and (4) only
D. (4) and (1) only

2. List TWO reasons the Environmental Protection Department gave for not exempting these groups of people from the waste charging scheme.

3. Lui Man-lam noted that while those on comprehensive social security allowance and old age living allowance are given HK$10 every month to help with the cost of rubbish bags, the government did not include disabled people. Should this group of people also receive the subsidy? Why or why not?

Question prompts:

1. What do the items in the bin have in common?

2. Some have suggested that free bags should be given to people who use the items in the bin, which they often need to dispose of daily and in a certain way. To what extent do you agree with this suggestion? Explain using Issue and your own knowledge.

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disposable medical supplies: refers to equipment, instruments, materials, and substances used for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management of illness and injury that need to be thrown away after use. According to a survey conducted by the Direction Association for the Handicapped, the most common items are disposable gloves, diapers and incontinence insert pads, wound dressings, cotton balls and disposable bedsheets.

waste charging scheme: from April 1, residents will be charged for the waste they dispose of as part of the government’s municipal solid waste charging campaign, which aims to tackle the amount of rubbish tossed into landfills. Residents will be required to collect their rubbish in prepaid bags costing 11 HK cents per litre for the first three years of the policy. Bags will be available in nine different sizes, from three to 100 litres. Any rubbish that cannot be bagged should be affixed with designated labels.

“polluter pays” principle: refers to the commonly accepted practice that those who produce waste or pollution should bear the costs of managing it to prevent damage to human health or the environment

News
1. Answer: B
2. Fined up to HK$500,000 and five years imprisonment.
3. This can deter people from using counterfeit bags. Using unauthorised bags would allow residents to circumvent the waste disposal fees, defeating the scheme’s purpose of encouraging waste reduction.

Table
1. To tackle waste in Hong Kong.
2. Education and publicity. The roll-out of Hong Kong’s waste-charging scheme relies heavily on the public’s understanding and participation. Many residents might not fully grasp how the scheme works and the potential penalties for misuse, and as such, educational campaigns explaining the system and its benefits are necessary. Public education to identify genuine bags and report illegal sales can also help the public differentiate authorised bags from counterfeits.

Issue
1. Answer: D
2. It would undermine the “polluter pays” principle of the policy and create administrative and enforcement problems.
3. Yes, disabled people should also receive the subsidy for government-approved rubbish bags. This group of people and those with chronic conditions often use more disposable medical supplies, leading to significantly higher waste generation than average households. The cost of managing this additional waste poses a significant financial burden for many disabled individuals and their families. The waste-charging scheme should not disproportionately burden those facing additional waste disposal challenges due to their health conditions or disabilities. Offering them the same support provided to other low-income individuals ensures fairer implementation and helps minimise their financial pressure.

Illustration
1. They are medical waste.
2. I agree to a large extent. Providing special bags for medical waste would reduce the risk of contamination of regular household waste, protecting sanitation workers and, potentially, the environment. This also would simplify waste sorting and proper disposal of potentially hazardous materials. However, the special rubbish bags would incur additional costs to the government or the users. It might also be challenging to ensure everyone who needs the bags has access to them.