Waste pilot plan unveiled

 

(The Standard P.4 8 April 2014) Some 40,000 residents at seven public and private housing estates will take part in a waste charging pilot scheme.

 

Three methods - charging according to garbage bags per household, by weight, or volume disposed of by the whole building - will be tested.

The trial run will begin from June and last for six months.

"This is only our first step to practice charging for solid waste. After gathering data and evaluating the effectiveness of the scheme, it will be expanded to other estates," Secretary for the Environment Wong Kam-sing said.

The scheme includes residents paying HK$0.50-HK$1.50 for garbage bags from 0.5 kilogram to 1.5kg, or each block of residents sharing the cost of HK$500 per tonne or HK$60 per bucket of waste.

 

The costs are based on what is being charged in Taipei city.

But in the pilot scheme, residents will not be charged by the volume and weight- based method, and those who use the garbage bags will be refunded the cost of the bags.

 

Amoy Gardens is one of the participating estates, with four blocks participating, said Amoy Gardens Owners' Joint Committee chairman Wilson Yip Hing-kwo.

 

A woman living at Amoy Gardens said the pilot scheme will change the way she handles waste.

"We'll separate those which can be recycled, such as the newspapers before throwing them into recycle bins," she said.

But another resident believes the pilot will not work.

"I don't think others will follow the scheme ... most residents would be dissatisfied."

The other estates are Chun Seen Mei Chuen in Kowloon City, Kwong Tin Estate and Tak Tin Estate in Lam Tin, Island Resort in Siu Sai Wan and The Orchards in Quarry Bay and Chai Wan Estate.

 

Kelly Ip