You have to pay to throw away garbage in this part of China! Violators may be fined up to RMB 50,000 and imprisoned for 6 months
Starting from April 1 this year, Hong Kong residents will have to pay for littering.
According to predictions from the Environmental Protection Department of the SAR Government, a family of three in Hong Kong will increase their monthly expenses by HK$33 to HK$51. If citizens fail to comply with the garbage disposal regulations, they will receive a fixed fine of HKD 1,500, or be prosecuted. The maximum fine is HKD 25,000 and 6 months' imprisonment for the first conviction, and the maximum fine is HKD 50,000 and 6 months' imprisonment for the second conviction. .
The waste payment comes from the "Waste Disposal Bill 2018" passed by the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on August 26, 2021.
The regulations stipulate that Hong Kong will implement garbage charging in two models, namely charging by bag and charging by weight. Per-bag charging is applicable to most residences, buildings, ground floor shops, estates and public institutions, etc. The total amount accounts for 80% of daily municipal solid waste. Citizens must use designated garbage bags or affix designated labels before throwing away garbage. Charges based on weight are mainly applicable to waste disposed of in industrial and commercial premises.
The regulations stipulate that in the first three years of the implementation of garbage charging, the bag charge is currently set at HK$0.11 per liter. Designated garbage bags come in 9 sizes, with capacities ranging from 3 liters to 100 liters. The smallest bag charges HKD 0.33, and the largest bag charges HKD 11. If a family of three uses a 10-liter or 15-liter designated garbage bag every day, they will have to pay HKD 33 to HKD 51 per month. Citizens can purchase it on authorized online platforms and thousands of offline sales points, including supermarkets, convenience stores, pharmacies and vending machines.
For the poor in Hong Kong, each person will receive a monthly subsidy of HK$10 from the government. In the initial stage of implementation, the government will also directly distribute designated garbage bags to public housing estates, "three-no" buildings and rural village houses.
The then Secretary for the Environment of the SAR Government, Wong Kam-sing, described garbage charging at the Legislative Council in 2002 as a "locomotive" to promote waste reduction. It would not only help actively encourage companies and the public to reduce garbage disposal, but also help promote the sustainable development of the recycling industry. He believes that the passage of the Ordinance marks a new milestone in Hong Kong's waste management work.
Although paid garbage disposal has become a foregone conclusion, people have different opinions on this. Tse Chin-wan, Secretary for the Environment and Ecology Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government, said that there will be a six-month adaptation period after the implementation of the fee. During this period, the Environmental Protection Agency mainly encouraged citizens to change their habits through publicity and education. It only issued warnings and did not strictly enforce the law for violations. He emphasized that this was to allow citizens to get better accustomed to using designated bags to dispose of garbage, but it was not to allow citizens to litter.
Cheng Jianhong, Senior Environmental Protection Officer of the Environmental Protection Department of the SAR Government, suggested that in the early stages of the implementation of garbage charging, residents' organizations, property management companies, security companies or cleaning companies can purchase designated bags in bulk from the Environmental Protection Department for residents to use, so that residents can adapt to the new measures as soon as possible. The Environmental Protection Department will provide a service fee rebate equivalent to 3% of the selling price to cover the additional operating expenses of the property management company.
Xie Zhanhuan said that after the adaptation period, it is illegal to not designate garbage bags or affix designated labels, and you will be fined a fixed fine of HK$1,500. If the violation is repeated, the government can prosecute by summons, with a maximum fine of HK$25,000 and 6 months' imprisonment for the first conviction, and a maximum fine of HK$50,000 and 6 months' imprisonment for the second conviction.
Cheng Jianhong said that if residents are found to regularly throw garbage in violation of regulations, they can report it to the Environmental Protection Agency. The Environmental Protection Department will launch relevant APPs to facilitate citizens to take photos and report.
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