Waste charging trial starts with calls for clarity
The government began testing its postponed pay-as-you-throw scheme on Monday with a trial at more than a dozen premises, while some residents said authorities need to educate the public more about the policy.  The test run of the waste charging scheme covers 14 locations across Hong Kong, including public and private residential blocks, shopping malls, and restaurants. Participants were provided with designated garbage bags for free.  One of the selected locations was Lin Tsui Estate in Chai Wan, a single-block building with about 300 households.  A resident, surnamed Law, started using the designated bags, saying he would continue his habit of sorting different types of trash and recycling food waste.  He told RTHK that while it was a good first step to promote environmental protection, the administration should step up its education efforts.  "There should be some officers to give explanations or educate us, so we can get used to it," he said. "They could also offer guidance to residents on sorting different types of waste. That would be better." Another resident, surnamed Wong, said both the government and property management did not communicate with those living in the building about the policy.  "I learned about [the scheme] on television... I just follow what I saw on television," he said.  Two care homes were also taking part in the trial, including the privately-run Kato Home for the Elderly in Tuen Mun. Godfrey Ngai, CEO of Kato Holdings, said it was impossible for the elderly care home to reduce waste at source, given the number of diapers and dressings they use.  He added that the premise, which normally uses larger 120-litre trash bags, would be trialling the scheme with 75-litre garbage bags provided by the government. The prepaid bags come in nine different sizes, ranging from three litres to 100 litres.  "Even if the government gives us the largest 100-litre garbage bags, each bag can only be filled with 60 to 70 litres of trash," he said.  "The waste normally put in a 120-litre bag has to be divided and put in two 100-litre bags, because we have to leave some room for tying the bags. This greatly increases our costs." A manager of a San Po Kong restaurant noted that the designated bags used for food waste would incur an extra HK$6,000 in expenditure each month, but said there were no plans to pass the financial burden onto customers. The administration said it would monitor and assess the trial before deciding on the next steps for the scheme, which officially starts in August.