DAB calls on govt to shelve waste charging scheme
The DAB on Friday called on the government to shelve plans to roll out household waste charging, saying surveys it has carried out show this is what the majority of people want. It added that authorities should not see the policy as the only means to reduce waste. The party said only 18.4 percent of 810 people it polled by phone in April thought the pay-as-you-throw scheme should go ahead as planned in August, and only 15 percent of 750 people polled in May thought the same. Around 30 percent of the interviewees said the policy should be delayed a third time, while 45 percent said it should be scrapped entirely, the DAB said. The party said people feel there are not enough recycling facilities, and that having to pay for designated bags for waste would be a financial burden. DAB lawmaker Elizabeth Quat said authorities should take more time to help Hong Kong get ready for the scheme, by building waste-to-energy infrastructure, setting up more recycling stations across the city and providing detailed recycling guidelines. She said the administration can also provide cash rewards for those who recycle. "They have a reward scheme to encourage citizens to [recycle] but now the scheme is that you do recycling and then you get some points, which can be used to redeem noodles or oil, that kind of thing. I think if you can redeem cash, you will have a better incentive," Quat said. Chief Executive John Lee said earlier in the week that even though the pay-as-you-go measure was made law by the previous administration, authorities should still put thought into how the scheme is executed.