Following an eight-week trial run of the municipal solid waste charging scheme, the Hong Kong government has decided to indefinitely postpone the launch, which was supposed to begin on August 1. In a LegCo joint meeting between the Environment and Ecology Bureau and the Panel for Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene on Monday afternoon, May 27, Hong Kong’s deputy chief secretary for administration, Warner Cheuk, discussed citizens’ concerns over the scheme. Cheuk noted complaints that the guidelines are complicated, the cost of dedicated garbage disposal bags would be an extra financial burden, there is insufficient space in residences to implement proper sorting, and that simply swapping one plastic bag for another is not necessarily environmentally beneficial. The decision has therefore been made to postpone the waste charging scheme, with no new start date proposed as of now.
The purpose of this waste tax was to encourage people to recycle more and reduce domestic waste, since they would need to pay to dispose of household refuse by purchasing designated bags. Originally supposed to fully launch in April 2024, the scheme has already been delayed when the government began a trial run across 14 residential and commercial premises instead and pushed back the starting date to August. This plan was first proposed by the government two decades ago in 2005.
This indefinite postponement undoubtedly comes as a relief to frontline cleaners, who have reported significant increases in their workload, as well as fears of accidentally breaking the law if they handle rubbish incorrectly under the new regulations. However, green groups and campaigners in Hong Kong are reportedly slamming the government for this decision, saying that lawmakers are not treating the flaws in our city’s waste management seriously, and that since the previous announcement of the scheme’s commencement, there has indeed been a slow but rising awareness of recycling measures among citizens.
But this is not the last we’ll see of the waste tax, which has not been completely scrapped. In the meantime, the government will be working on increasing facilities to support recycling, ramping up public education and awareness, and reviewing the waste charging scheme. “We understand that changing the habits of over 7 million people is something that cannot be rushed. Tackling these issues is a long-term project that requires time and systematic planning,” says Cheuk.
After allowing more time to assess Hong Kong’s willingness to decrease solid household waste and citizens’ attitudes towards recycling, the government will revisit the waste charging scheme in mid 2025.
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