Hong Kong's 'pay-as-you-throw' waste disposal put on hold

Alternative measures

Hong Kong is also looking at new waste-management methods to get rid of its dependence on landfills.

The Integrated Waste Management Facilities Phase 1, currently under construction near Shek Kwu Chau, an island in the south of Hong Kong, is expected to commence in 2025. The facility will have the capacity to incinerate 3,000 metric tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) per day, the equivalent of about 30 percent of the waste generated in Hong Kong per day.

The government is also planning the development of the Integrated Waste Management Facilities Phase 2, which will have the capacity to process about 6,000 metric tons of MSW per day.

However, Wong from Hong Kong Baptist University, said it's a pity that recyclable resources are being incinerated. He believes there should be a tiered process for waste processing, starting with reduction at the source, followed by reuse and recycling, then incineration, with landfill the last resort.

Hong Kong's rate of waste recycling is still far behind the average of 60 percent achieved in many European cities. To address the problem, the government should boost the circular economy to give waste more economic value, he said.

Cooperating with other Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area cities is another way for Hong Kong to manage its waste, Wong said. The neighboring cities could help Hong Kong process waste and manufacture products made from recyclables.

There was also scope to develop recycling-related technologies, such as converting plastic waste into petroleum, he said.

In addition to the government's efforts to reduce waste, the city's residents are taking small steps themselves to make a difference.

A group of coffee shops launched an initiative on the internet similar to a library lending out books that are returned. Customers are offered reusable coffee cups that can be used at coffee shops that join the network.

The system has gradually expanded from the Central and Sheung Wan districts on Hong Kong Island to Kowloon, the New Territories, and even Lantau Island.