Problems weigh on waste-charging trial

The trial run of the waste charging scheme, which started Monday, faced challenges due to inadequate food waste recycling facilities and designated garbage bags that were too small for restaurant kitchens.

Odi Chan Fung-yee, manager of the Hsin Kuang Banquet Hall in San Po Kong, expressed the difficulties faced by the restaurant.

"Due to the lack of recycling facilities, the restaurant had no choice but to dispose of food waste with other garbage," she said.

"We lack the manpower to transport food waste to distant public recycling spots."

Chan urged the government to improve the design of the bags, which did not fit well in the restaurant's bins.

"We could only utilize 70 percent of the bag's capacity to comply with government requirements, resulting in an increased number of bags being used," she said.

The restaurant received a weekly supply of 40 240-liter and 20 660-liter bags from the government, which only lasted one week.

Visually impaired individuals also expressed concerns. They worried about identifying designated garbage bags and using the QR code to access food waste recycling facilities.

A blind listener called a radio program to express his concerns and suggested that visually impaired people should be registered by the government, which could then provide them with a door-to-door food waste collection service.

Elsewhere, residents of On Ning House in Moon Lok Dai Ha, a public housing estate in Tsuen Wan, raised concerns about insufficient recycling facilities and increased living expenses.

Starting from August 1, households are required to purchase designated garbage bags at varying prices to dispose of domestic waste.

One resident named Leung is worried that purchasing the bags would significantly increase her living costs.

Currently, residents of the estate receive 30 15-liter free designated bags per month, but a resident named Yip argued that the small bags were insufficient for family use.

Yip feared that the government would not distribute free bags once its initial supply was exhausted and hopes the government will lower the price of the designated bags.

He also urges the government to install additional food waste facilities in the building as the closest one is a three-minute walk from the estate.

"It's unrealistic for residents to go out every night and walk some distance to throw away food waste," Chan said. "The government should set up food waste collection boxes on each floor or distribute free bins to households to store food waste, otherwise people will just dump food waste with other garbage."

Ng Po-keung, a district councilor for Kowloon City, reported that residents of Genius Court were willing to participate in the pilot scheme but called for an increase in recycling facilities.