Like Tree47Likes

Throwing away rubbish to cost up to HK$50 a month

Closed Thread
Page 1 of 5 1 2 3 4 ... LastLast
  1. #1

    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Sarcasm - because beating the crap out of people is illegal
    Posts
    14,622

    Throwing away rubbish to cost up to HK$50 a month

    Hong Kong residents can soon expect to pay about HK$30 to HK$50 a month for throwing away their rubbish.

    The Environment Bureau said on Monday that from 2019, households will have to purchase designated rubbish bags, which will come in nine different sizes ranging from three to 100 litres.

    The per-litre charge for the designated bags will be set at $0.11. So for example, if a household uses a 15-litre bag each day they will have to pay about HK$51 a month in total.

    The bags will be sold in supermarkets, convenience stores and post offices.

    The plan is expected to be put to the Legislative Council in the next few months, but the city will be given 12 to 18 months to prepare before the measure is brought in.

    At the same time, authorities will also start removing outdoor bins from the territory's streets, while adding more recycling containers.

    Environment Secretary Wong Kam-sing said the price set for the bags is similar to Taipei and Seoul and the goal was not to increase government revenue, but to reduce waste generation.

    Authorities are also planning to rigorously enforce the new bag system, with Food and Environmental Hygiene Department staff conducting spot checks on rubbish trucks and at refuse collection points. Offenders will be fined HK$1,500 and could face prosecution.
    Source: RTHK

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Posts
    2,711

    great, about time


  3. #3

    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Posts
    6,531

    Yay, yay, yay! Let's see this happen!

    (Who wants to make bets it won't? We should ask ourselves what does Li Ka Shing have to lose?)


  4. #4

    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Posts
    4,574

    Black-market counterfeit rubbish bags to be available in 3,2,1 ...


  5. #5

    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Ex Sai Kunger Sunny Qld for now
    Posts
    8,318

    This is going to end up being another monumental HK fuck up.

    so how are they going to police this with residents ?

    what's to stop people from dumping their bags in another village or persons bin ?

    I can see this turning into another shit fight.


  6. #6

    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    2,879

    Who knows, it might just work. At least the plastic bag levy seems to have made a difference on the surface... think back, it wasn't uncommon to walk home from PnS with 4 half empty plastic bags.

    spode likes this.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    HK
    Posts
    14,624

    one issue tho. its going to "hurt" small income earner.

    DirtyHairy likes this.

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    θ–„ζ‰Άζž—
    Posts
    47,964
    Quote Originally Posted by Rob2020:
    Black-market counterfeit rubbish bags to be available in 3,2,1 ...
    Hah .. that is what I thought too. TaoBao will do well.
    Rob2020 likes this.

  9. #9

    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    12,323

    They had a similar system in Wellington, but with one important exception. If you sorted, cleaned and put your recyclables in the green designated "recycling bin" (also provided free of charge by the council) then you didn't have to pay. So everyone was incentivised to cut down on rubbish AND recycle as much as possible.

    And of course most people lived in houses so the food waste went on the compost heap not in the bin.

    I think the system will be terrible to police and open to typical HK abuse. But am ever hopeful - its better than nothing.

    Elegiaque and spode like this.

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    1,896

    This is exactly the system that does work in Taipei. However, the logistics are far from perfect - if you live in a low-rise you need to go out and bring your trash out in these bags whenever the dump truck makes its rounds (usually twice a week two times a day). However, I wonder how it will work in a HK high rise. Either just same cost for everyone (i.e., lost its purpose), or what? Cameras in the trash room?

    chingleutsch likes this.

Closed Thread
Page 1 of 5 1 2 3 4 ... LastLast