Editorial | Waste-charging trial has turned into an embarrassment
- Reducing waste and increasing recycling was always going to be complex in Hong Kong, but lack of preparation has created problems for the government
The trial run of the controversial new waste-charging scheme is supposed to uncover any shortcomings in advance and ensure a smooth transition.
But it has suffered through lack of preparation, landing the government with problems it never bargained for. A small-scale trial from April 1 involving a handful of locations did not seem too demanding. But what should have been a soft exercise turned into an embarrassment, even after initial teething problems had been remedied.
Environmental authorities reported that only 20 to 50 per cent of public and private housing estate residents followed the new rules. But 100 per cent compliance from nursing homes, for example, shows waste charging works with proper planning.
Now it seems that citywide introduction of the scheme in August, already deferred twice this year, is likely to be put back again.
Environment minister Tse Chin-wan conceded many people had found the trial too complicated. Frontline sanitation and management staff also faced significant extra work.
The trial hardly met anticipation of an environmentally friendly waste management system that had been under discussion for many years and legislated by lawmakers in 2021.
