Hong Kong Standard
| A professor at Hong Kong Baptist University says people should be offered rewards to sort household waste because the idea of a levy alone is more a punishment than encouragement.
Kelly Ip Monday, May 27, 2013 A professor at Hong Kong Baptist University says people should be offered rewards to sort household waste because the idea of a levy alone is more a punishment than encouragement. Speaking at the City Forum yesterday, biology professor Jonathan Wong Woon-chung said the government “has to propose a clear plan on how to reduce waste, such as offering incentives for the public to handle food waste. “It can also consider legislation on waste recycling to reduce the burden on landfills.” But he also said there is need for society at large to reflect on consumerism because reducing waste at source is important. Secretary for the Environment Wong Kam-sing last week outlined a 10-year strategy to reduce waste by 40percent. According to data from the Environmental Protection Department, every person in Hong Kong is dumping an average of 1.27 kilograms of waste each day. Planners want to reduce it to 1kg by 2017 and 0.8kg by 2022. A levy on householders is a key part of the strategy. That could see households charged from HK$20 to HK$30 every month. Jonathan Wong also said more than 50percent of waste is dumped into landfills compared to 2percent in Taiwan. “The 2percent is only the remains of waste after treatment at the incinerators,” (i.e. ASH) he explained (and he means by VOLUME not by WEIGHT). “It might be the direction Hong Kong society should consider.” (to pollute the environment and landfill toxic ash and flyash forever) The government plans to build incinerators, though that may only proceed after a judicial review now under way against its plan to build such a facility on Shek Kwu Chau is finished. The policy advocacy manager of the World Green Organisation, Angus Wong Chun-yin, said he is worried that the government may not be able to reach its target of reducing household waste by 40percent within 10 years if it relies solely on the successful imposition of a charge. (Oh really ? http://www.zerowasteeurope.eu/2013/04/rossano-ercolini-president-of-zero-waste-europe-2013-wins-the-green-nobel-award/) Government planners may also have to look at building more than one incinerator facility to reach the target if a waste-charging system failed, Wong said. Sai Kung district council member Christine Fong Kwok-shan said Tseung Kwan O residents are bothered by smells from a landfill that should not be expanded. “The government should consider developing landfills on islands instead of places near residential areas to minimize negative effects towards residents,” Fong said. Additionally, she said, the government should focus on waste being produced by commercial enterprises and construction sites. |