Waste charging trial to provide govt key data: Tse
Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Tse Chin-wan, on Saturday said the government would assess the data collected from the trial of the waste charging scheme before determining the next step of the scheme. The government postponed the pay-as-you-throw scheme by four months to August, with its trial to begin next week at 14 locations, including at public and private residential blocks, shopping malls, and restaurants. Asked whether the scheme would be implemented in August as planned, Tse told an RTHK radio programme that authorities would examine the results first. "As for the next step of the waste charging scheme, how we deploy it will depend on a comprehensive assessment of the situation. This includes the results of our trial, and the feedback we receive from various parties in society. We will definitely take into account all aspects, and not just focus on one or two perspectives," he said.  The government would also impose a ban on single-use plastic products, in two phases, with the first phase taking effect on April 22. Tse said around 20 percent of around 15,000 eateries visited by inspectors last month had already transitioned away from disposable plastic products, such as straws and stirrers. He believed the remaining 80 percent of eateries would gradually adopt alternative items to replace single-use plastic products. The environment minister noted there will be a six-month grace period after the regulation comes into force, but it is unlikely that the government would extend this period.