Political situation
Written by: Lin Jian
2021-02-28 11:13
The last update date: 2021-02-28 11:13
The convener of the Executive Council, Chen Zhisi, stated on the Hong Kong and Taiwan program "Letter to Hong Kong" today (February 28) that Hong Kong is facing a crisis of municipal solid waste and the existing landfills are about to be saturated.
But he lamented that the garbage levy policy promoted by the government is difficult to implement under the influence of "vested interests", and he is worried that it will not be passed during the current legislative session.
Worry about failing to pass the amendment during the meeting
Chen Zhisi, the former chairman of the Sustainable Development Committee, said that he had visited some garbage collection stations in the past and saw that a lot of recyclable waste was thrown away for nothing.
He pointed out that in 2018, Hong Kong people produced an average of 1.53 kilograms of waste per day, and each person produced more than half a ton each year.
The three existing landfills are about to become saturated, and Hong Kong is facing a solid waste crisis.
The "Hong Kong Resource Recycling Blueprint 2035" announced by the government earlier this month has the vision of "Reduction of Waste for All, Recycling of Resources, and Zero Waste Landfill". The goal is to gradually reduce the per capita disposal of municipal solid waste by 40 to 45% while recycling The rate increased to about 55%.
Chen Zhisi pointed out that to achieve this goal, the municipal solid waste charging (garbage levy) that has been promoted since 2014 is one of the key measures, but it has been difficult to promote in Hong Kong, and it has become more difficult under the epidemic and economic crisis.
Chen Zhisi bluntly said, "Anything that costs money is like this, and of course it will be touched by vested interests." He is worried that some political and economic considerations will cause the "2018 Waste Disposal (Municipal Solid Waste Charges) (Revised) The Bill cannot be passed during this session of the Legislative Council.
Chen Zhisi.
(Profile picture)
Refers to the policy is not to make money mainly to educate the citizens of environmental awareness
Chen Zhisi mentioned that the garbage levy policy adopts the "polluter pays" principle. Many cities around the world, such as Seoul in South Korea and San Francisco in the United States, have successfully used this to reduce municipal waste. The issue of sustainable development facing Hong Kong is imminent.
He pointed out that the Hong Kong government set the recommended charge for designated garbage bags at 0.11 yuan per liter, which is lower than the average monthly payment of US$40 (about 312 Hong Kong dollars) by residents of San Francisco because the main purpose of government policy is not to make money, but Like a plastic bag levy, citizens are more concerned about what they throw away.
He also pointed out that in the face of global warming, some people's environmental awareness is still insufficient. He believes that district councils, rural committees, and environmental groups can help promote it because the effectiveness of recycling policies often depends on the cooperation of the private sector, the community, and the business community. .
He also praised the excellent work of the non-government disposable beverage packaging working group, "Free from "Waste" Drinking", because plastic bottles are also a serious environmental problem.
However, Chen Zhisi admitted that in reality, even if the government promotes the success of the recycling program, it is difficult to avoid the need to open up landfills and build more incinerators in the future.
The incinerator built by the government in Shek Kwu Chau, under the concern of environmental protection groups, ultimately can only target 30% of Hong Kong's solid waste.
He urged the people of Hong Kong to start with daily habits and reduce solid waste. The passage of the amendment to the garbage levy by the Legislative Council will be an important step.
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Chen Zhisi Waste Levy Environmental Bureau Organization
