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The Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, announced today (April 7) that seven housing estates will participate in a pilot scheme on municipal solid waste (MSW) charging organised by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD). The scheme will collect further public opinions and accumulate experience for the future implementation of MSW charging.
The seven participating estates are Amoy Gardens, Chai Wan Estate, Chun Seen Mei Chuen, Island Resort, Kwong Tin Estate, Tak Tin Estate and The Orchards. About 10,000 households will be involved. Their background information is set out at Annex A.
"I am pleased to have the support of the residents and the property management companies of different housing estates. They have made the pilot scheme more representative," said Mr Wong.
The pilot scheme will last for six months. A baseline survey will take place on each estate in one month prior to the trial. From April to June, the participating estates will begin collecting data on waste disposal quantities for future reference and comparison. Upon completion of the baseline surveys, the relevant estates will formally start the trial of the chosen charging modes as and when they are ready. The trial will last for five months, during which the EPD will provide assistance and the necessary support services. Specific operational details are set out at Annex B.
Mr Wong said, "MSW charging is a very important initiative and has a far-reaching impact on waste reduction. The pilot scheme will allow us to accumulate practical experience for the various charging options and identify the difficulties and challenges for reference when we draw up the final way forward."
Following the public consultation of 2012, the Government decided to introduce quantity-based MSW charging to provide economic incentives for members of the public and commercial and industrial establishments to reduce waste through behavioural changes. In September 2013, the Council for Sustainable Development (SDC) launched a public engagement exercise on MSW charging and published an Invitation for Response document (IR Document) to seek public views on the operational details. The three charging options to be tried out in the pilot scheme are covered in the IR Document. The public engagement was completed at end January 2014 and the SDC is analysing the feedback received.
Ends/Monday, April 7, 2014
Issued at HKT 17:05
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