'Waste charging should start in August at govt venues'
A green group has suggested that Hong Kong's much-delayed waste charging scheme should begin as planned on August 1, but only at government-run premises and facilities, other than public housing estates.  The government earlier conceded that there are still problems with the pay-as-you-throw scheme, which has been tested at 14 locations since last month.  In an open letter to Legco's environmental affairs panel on Thursday, the Green Earth said officials should start the first phase of the scheme in August, covering government offices, parks and public schools, among other venues. "Participating government departments should propose clear waste reduction targets, cutting waste by 10 percent within 12 months, while disclosing the manpower expenditure and management costs of relevant premises to the public," it said.  Edwin Lau, the group's founder and executive director, said the government should set an example and show the public how to reduce waste. "The government can work out the most effective ways and the most eco-friendly ways to work on this waste charging - how to reduce waste, how to minimise the volume or weight of the waste - so that offices or residential blocks can reduce the volume of the waste, which is the main objective of the waste-charging scheme," he told RTHK. He added that public education needs to be beefed up to clarify misunderstandings about the scheme. "Many of the people do not really understand the reason why the government needs to enforce the waste charging law. They complained that waste recycling facilities are far away, not convenient, and they can hardly find a food waste collection facility to dispose of their food waste," he said. "The government needs to step up public education and enhance the collection network to make it more convenient for the general public."