To: Editor of South China Morning Post
I refer to the letters on municipal waste charging published last week. Municipal waste charging is a common policy tool based on the polluter-pays principle and has been adopted in places like Seoul and Taipei to encourage waste reduction. The arrangements adopted in the bill were recommended by the Council for Sustainable Development after an extensive public engagement exercise.
The charging regime is an important step towards achieving the goals of the Waste Blueprint for Hong Kong 2035. While the responsibility for reducing waste should be shared by the whole community, we recognise the additional financial burden that may weigh on lower-income families. The government will provide a monthly HK$10 allowance to Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients, which would largely cover the extra expenditure due to waste charging.
To help Hongkongers adapt to the new charging regime, we plan to distribute the designated garbage bags to all households for free for a period after the implementation of waste charging.
However, the most effective way to minimise payment under this policy is to reduce waste at source and practise recycling. In addition to expanding the community recycling network, the management of recycling bins in public places has been enhanced to boost public confidence in the proper handling of recyclables. The government has launched a series of collection arrangements for recyclables to ensure that they will be handed over to local downstream recyclers or treatment facilities for proper processing, instead of ending up in landfills.
Other initiatives in the pipeline include a producer responsibility scheme for plastic beverage containers and control of disposable plastic tableware. The Council for Sustainable Development is also invited to further address other types of disposable plastics, such as plastic packaging waste. We will keep in view whether there is a need for other regulatory measures to reduce waste.
Waste charging is not meant to increase government revenue. The government will allocate additional resources to fund various waste reduction and recycling initiatives, the amount of which will be commensurate with the estimated gross revenue to be generated from waste charging.
In the next 18 months or so, we will proceed to take forward various preparatory work, such as setting up the manufacturing, inventory and distribution system for the designated garbage bags and labels and conducting related tender exercises, and preparing various stakeholders and members of the public for waste charging through engagement, promotion and publicity.
Jessica Cheng,
Assistant Director of Environmental Protection (Waste Reduction Policy)