Hong Kong’s care homes for elderly, disabled may face millions of dollars in costs after waste-charging scheme starts, top operator says
- Larger care homes expected to pay millions of dollars more per year, based on their trash bag usage now, operator Grace Li says
- Solid waste-charging scheme, aimed at cutting down the amount of rubbish thrown in landfills, will kick off on April 1
Hong Kong care homes may face millions of dollars in extra costs under a coming waste-charging scheme, a top operator has said, with the industry meeting officials to discuss the expected financial burden and other concerns.
Grace Li Fai, a care home operator and honorary chairwoman of the Elderly Services Association of Hong Kong, on Thursday said estimates showed the facilities would be hard hit based on their current waste disposal levels.
“It has been calculated. Some larger nursing homes will have to pay hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars more per year, based on their trash bag usage now,” she told a radio programme. “Such operating costs are quite dramatic.”
The government’s municipal solid waste-charging scheme, aimed at cutting down the amount of rubbish thrown in landfills, will come into effect on April 1.
Hongkongers will have to buy government-approved bags, available in nine sizes, for 11 HK cents (1 US cent) for each litre of garbage.
Campaign groups earlier called on authorities to subsidise rubbish bags for disabled people and those with chronic conditions due to their heavy use of disposable medical supplies.
Li said the scheme would put a financial strain on nursing homes due to the variety of waste they produced on a daily basis, such as diapers and medical disposals.
