'Restaurants will struggle to handle leftover food'
The honorary chairman of the Institute of Dining Professionals on Friday said it will be difficult for restaurants to deal with leftover food when the new waste charging scheme takes effect in April.  Simon Wong, who manages 50 eateries, said it will cost him an extra HK$3 million to buy designated rubbish bags and HK$2 million to hire more staff.  On an RTHK programme, Wong said he's worried about a shortage of staff to handle food waste. "It seems like an unpleasant task. In a time when hiring dishwashers is difficult, who would be in charge of sorting out the food waste? I suppose many restaurants won't be able to find a solution," he said.  "For now, they might just pay for it as long as they don't violate the law. This could result in a no-win situation because more money is spent, but Hong Kong's waste is not reduced." Wong also expressed concern about a lack of recycling facilities for street vendors, saying there are only around 50 recycling stores in public housing estates across Hong Kong.  Speaking on the same programme, the CEO of the Environmental Association, Yau Wing-kwong, said there is a need to discuss collection times for food waste with residents, in order to prevent odour and mosquito problems. Meanwhile, Kwai Chung East district councillor Chau Kit-ying said some building estates have decided to increase management fees due to the rubbish bag scheme, adding that officials should do more education on the pay-as-you-throw policy.