Hong Kong environment chief blames past administration for lack of food scrap bins needed for now-shelved waste-charging scheme

Hong Kong’s environment minister has blamed the previous administration for the lack of food-scrap collection bins needed for a now-shelved waste-charging scheme, while also insisting authorities have “never thought about” dumping garbage across the border.

Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan on Saturday also promised a review of the legislation, saying he could see a “fairness problem” after two cleaning workers told him they would consider quitting the sector because of an “unfair” legal burden placed on them.

The government on Monday revealed it would put on hold the pay-as-you-throw scheme that was supposed to launch citywide on August 1, citing widespread reservations expressed by residents and businesses that took part in a pilot scheme that began in April and covered 14 sites.

The minister said it would be irresponsible for authorities to set another date before all the issues identified during the trial were resolved.

He conceded that one issue centred on a lack of food-waste collection bins for people to conveniently dispose of leftovers, making it hard for households to save money on the government-approved garbage bags that were mandatory under the scheme.

But he suggested the former administration of Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor had overlooked the public expectations over food waste when it proposed and prepared the legislation for the plan.

“By the end of the previous administration, we had [about] 170 food-waste recycling points in Hong Kong. We are expanding that to 1,100 this year,” he said. “The previous administration did not pay special attention to the recycling of household food waste … it can be said that we had to start from scratch.”