'Public still confused about delayed waste scheme'
The government has to better explain to the public its pay-as-you-throw scheme that's been postponed yet again, community and industry leaders have said, pointing to confusion about how the policy would work.  The administration announced to push back the scheme to August 1, but government departments will start using designated rubbish bags as planned from April 1, as a trial.  On a Commercial Radio programme, Kwun Tong district councillor, Wilson Or, said it was a wise decision for the government to postpone the scheme's implementation since people have yet to understand the policy fully, but added that the nuances of the law should be made clear.  Or added that he was shocked to learn that an environmental official had suggested for people to saw a mop handle into half to put in the designated bag, as an example to handle larger items under the solid waste charging scheme.  "Authorities have to let the public know the purpose behind their policy. The purpose is to reduce waste at the source, and make society really pay attention to environmental protection," he said. "There should be more efforts spent in explaining the scheme." Johnnie Chan, a former president of Hong Kong Association of Property Management Companies, said a number of residents remained confused by the policy, despite management firms having explained the new scheme to them  He also stressed that property managers are against the idea of having their offices bear the costs of the prepaid bags if residents fail to follow the rules.  But Simon Wong, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, pointed to concerns among the catering industry about the scheme increasing operational costs. "Based on the charges set by the government, I estimate that even a smaller-sized restaurant will spend at least HK$1,000 to HK$2,000 extra every month. For larger restaurants, the cost could be over HK$10,000," Wong told the same programme.  "If the cost of the restaurant increases, the prices will increase to some extent, and in the end, customers are paying the bill."