THE long-delayed charging system for household waste will not come into force until the end of 2020, at the earliest.
Secretary for the Environment Wong Kam-sing (黃錦星) said a waste disposal bill will be tabled in the Legislative Council on 14 November, and a preparatory period of 12 to 18 months is required once the bill is passed.
Then six months will be needed for people to get used to a new arrangement, with violators given verbal warnings.
A bill was originally planned to be tabled in the legislature before this summer with a full implementation expected in the second half of next year.
Under the scheme, 80 percent of rubbish generated by housing estates, residential buildings and shops using government refuse collection services must buy special bags to carry it. The remaining 20 percent will be charged by weight.
Authorities revealed months ago that the special bags will come in different sizes and cost 11 HK cents per litre on average. The smallest of the bags, with a three-litre capacity, will be 30 cents. The biggest, a 100-litre bag, will be HK$11. A standard 15-litre bag – about the same size as a plastic bag carrier used by supermarkets – will cost about HK$1.70.
A family of three throwing away one bag of trash a day over a 30-day month will pay about HK$50.

(This article is published on Junior Standard on 08 November 2018)

Background brief on municipal solid waste charging
http://goo.gl/uiRVt9

Challenges for waste reduction and management
http://goo.gl/cjgaMh