Hong Kong – SEE inspects selected premises to understand preparatory work under MSW Charging Demonstration Scheme (with photos)

     The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, today (March 27) inspected various premises under the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Charging Demonstration Scheme to understand the premises’ preparatory work.
 
     Accompanied by the Director of Environmental Protection, Dr Samuel Chui, and the Government Property Administrator, Mr Eugene Fung, Mr Tse inspected the designated refuse collection point and recycling area on one floor of the South Wing of the West Kowloon Government Offices, as well as the central refuse collection point in the basement. The officials were briefed by the relevant staff on the progress of the preparatory work for the Demonstration Scheme, including co-ordination with other departments in the building and the publicity work.
 
     Mr Tse also visited the Café de Coral fast-food restaurant in Admiralty Centre, Admiralty, to inspect the process of handling waste in the kitchen, and listened to the views of the person-in-charge of the restaurant on MSW charging and problems that may arise during the implementation, as well as on practical arrangements and requirements of the operation. Mr Tse thanked the Café de Coral Group for its support to the Environmental Protection Department (EPD)’s implementation of the Demonstration Scheme.
 
     “The premises under the Demonstration Scheme we visited today advised that they are fully prepared for the implementation. I expressed my heartful gratitude to the participating government departments, institutions and persons, particularly the participating premises for their support and collaboration. We believe that the experience and outcome of the Demonstration Scheme will assist the Government in better grasping the overall situation,” said Mr Tse.
 
     Moreover, Dr Chui, together with EPD officers, today also paid a visit to Genius Court located in Kowloon City to observe on-site the preparatory work of this single-block residential building, particularly on how the property management company and the cleaning frontline staff are complementing the trial. He also chatted with residents who collected designated bags (DBs) for MSW charging at the management office to learn about the recycling facilities in the vicinity of the building. Dr Chui applauded them and thanked them for their participation in the Demonstration Scheme to join hands with the Government in taking this critical step forward.
 
     The EPD started the preparatory work for the Demonstration Scheme in January 2024, including liaising with relevant bureaux and departments to identify suitable premises; discussing with the management of the selected premises; co-ordinating; as well as developing the framework and detailed workflow. The first group of premises covered under the Demonstration Scheme includes public and private residential buildings, “three-nil” buildings, shopping malls, restaurants and residential care homes. Taking into account the situation of each selected premise, the EPD has provided relevant Best Practice Guides and training materials on implementing MSW charging for reference, and briefed the property management practitioners or relevant representatives on their responsibilities.
 
     The EPD officers had earlier visited the relevant premises to conduct on-site assessments to refine the scheme arrangements and assist responsible persons in getting prepared for the implementation of the Demonstration Scheme. The EPD has also prepared publicity materials such as posters, slogans and promotional videos for the selected premises to display in public areas and on every floor for notifying the residents or occupants about the relevant arrangements before the commencement of the scheme. EPD officers will then visit the residents or occupants of the selected premises to learn about their opinions, experiences and problems encountered.
 
     The participating premises will start using DBs upon the commencement of the Demonstration Scheme on April 1. Therefore, it is expected that starting from April 2 most of the premises will collect waste disposed by using DBs. In addition to the arrangement on the technical aspect of the trial, the Government will also collect views and experiences on the trial from different stakeholders through opinion surveys, with a view to better grasping the overall situation.