Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan on Saturday described the increase as “a bit of a blessing in disguise”, noting that discussions surrounding the shelved waste-charging scheme had enhanced people’s awareness and made them start to change their behaviour.
The scheme was suspended indefinitely in May after two decades of debate and deliberation following a backlash from politicians, residents and stakeholders in the recycling business.
Asked about the scheme, Tse told a radio show: “The tools we use are actually secondary. What’s most important is that everyone can change their habits to reduce waste and recycle.”
Tse said food waste collected from housing estates had increased twelvefold since last December and by more than 50 per cent compared with May.
Additionally, the overall recyclables collected had also grown by more than 50 per cent since January, he said, without providing exact figures.
