HK targets 500-tonne daily waste cut, 36pc recycling amid charging suspension

The government aims to reduce daily waste disposal by an additional 500 tonnes and increase the recycling rate to 36 percent within two years, expressing hope that the public will work collectively toward these targets, says Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan.

The administration will continue the suspension of the municipal solid waste charging scheme. Tse reaffirmed at the Legislative Council Panel on

Environmental Affairs yesterday that the policy is being suspended – not shelved or canceled – describing the scheme as a standby tool that could be implemented when necessary or appropriate.

Lawmaker Yang Wing-kit considered the government’s decision to continue suspending waste charging as a pragmatic one, though he noted that under the Heads of Department Accountability System, the public may question whether officials should be held accountable.

Tse explained that the purpose of implementing waste charging was to reverse the long-term trend of increasing waste volumes and to raise the recycling rate.

Although waste charging has been suspended, the government has enhanced recycling infrastructure and intensified public education efforts, yielding noticeable results with a rising recycling rate.

He emphasized the need to adapt to changing circumstances, avoid rigid adherence to any single method or tool, and respond constructively to public opinion.

He affirmed that his bureau and the Environmental Protection Department have demonstrated a results-oriented approach and embodied the spirit of effective management under the accountability system, including by gauging public sentiment on waste charging, and have striven to fulfill their responsibilities.

Additionally, Tse said the recent decline in waste disposal is attributable to government initiatives rather than being solely due to economic factors or residents traveling north for consumption.

He pointed out that waste generation involves multiple factors. Several years ago, the economic downturn during the pandemic led to reduced waste, but by 2021 waste volumes had already rebounded to high levels.

Meanwhile, recycling volumes have increased from a low of 1.54 million tonnes in 2020 to 2.02 million tonnes last year, leading him to express confidence in reversing the long-term trend of rising waste.