Municipal solid waste charging – what does it say to us?
Waste problem challenges our society
Waste is a common problem of affluent societies as economic advancement gives rise to the types and quantities of waste people generate and dispose of. You may be astonished to know the situation in Hong Kong – our city has a rate of 1.36 kg daily domestic waste generation per capita (from Hong Kong Blueprint for Sustainable Use of Resources 2013 – 2022, Environment Bureau, published in 2013). Are we on the right track to tackle this waste problem? Over the years, our government has introduced various initiatives and strategies to cope with this situation. Source Separation of Domestic Waste Programme was launched for over a decade since 2005. The first stage of the Environmental Levy Scheme on Plastic Shopping Bags was implemented since 2009 and the local community was then educated to cut the excessive use of one-off use plastic shopping bags. Nevertheless, these measures and actions alone may not be sufficient to end our waste problem thoroughly and instantly.
Hong Kong Blueprint for Sustainable Use of Resources 2013 – 2022
The truth is - waste problem is more complicated than almost anyone thinks. There is an undesirably high volume of municipal solid waste (MSW) ending up at Hong Kong’s landfills daily, which comprises domestic solid waste coming from households, commercial solid waste coming from shops, offices and businesses, and industrial solid waste which is generated by all industries excluding construction and demolition waste, chemical waste or other special waste. Just think twice and you will realize that almost everything we do daily creates wastes – at home, in the community, socially and at our places of work!
The myth of waste charging
In 2012, our government conducted public consultation on the implementation of municipal solid waste charging, and subsequently released a detailed report with proposals of three MSW charging mechanisms in 2014. This is not just a strategy to prepare the citizens with a mentality that it may be a way out to alleviate the waste problem. It is a practical study into the feasibilities of reducing waste generation through waste charging mechanisms. Successful cases of Taipei City and South Korea reveal that volume-based MSW charging scheme is an effective tool to set the scene for public education on waste disposal and management at all levels of the society. It brings about opportunities to change the deep-rooted beliefs and behaviour of residents and commercial/industrial units, who seriously consider ways to reduce or even eliminate waste. The entire society is mobilized to engage in self-started activities in recycling and a more sustainable lifestyle.
Waste charging trial in tertiary institution
Recently, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has accepted the invitation from the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) to participate in a three-month trial from September to November 2016 for future municipal solid waste charging scheme arrangement. A dedicated ‘MSW Charging Trial Committee’ was set up comprising members from the Facilities Management Office (FMO), Campus Sustainability Office (CSO) and Campus Facilities Management Company Limited (CFM) who collaborate to plan the process of the trial, monitor the operation and evaluate its effect. During the trial, Main Campus (Phase 1 – 7, JCIT and Phase 8) will rehearse the waste collection and quantifying process following the ‘Pay as You Throw’ concept. “Waste reduction is one of the University’s focus and we have no hesitation to support the government’s call. The experience gained in this exercise will prepare us better for the future implementation of MSW charging on institutional level,” Mr. Joseph Chan, Head of Campus Sustainability, explained why the University supports the trial.
Mr. Joseph Chan elaborates on PolyU’s participation in the government’s trial scheme on MSW charging
“Our participation in the trial weighs more than it apparently shows. It offers a great opportunity for the University to identify ways to further reduce waste on campus, and encourages our staff and students to make waste reduction a part of their everyday lifestyles,” Joseph commented and highlighted on how this trial will translate into public education.
Consume less and practise source separation will bring improvements in waste disposal
There’s no single, simple solution but there is much we can do
Needless to say, there is no miracle in the world to make waste disappear. More appropriate and sustainable approaches to waste need to be adopted, and the ultimate goal of waste management efforts should be waste minimization at source. Our government is working to solve the problem by enacting laws, policies and infrastructure relating to waste management and sustainability. Green Groups and community organizations are running various campaigns to raise public awareness. Universities also have their roles to play. “We are keeping our eyes on waste management policies, daily operations and practices, facilities, recycling opportunities as well as publicity and education,” said Joseph. “In particular, we do want to get people on board with the solution and the concept – consume less and reduce, reuse and recycle. With a little more thought and action, we can all change our habits and behaviours to throw out less waste. We want to make everyone aware that we can help to relieve the waste problem instead of worsening it.”
PolyU introduces its home-grown recycling facility, UniRe® on campus to promote source separation
Diners are encouraged to cut down the use of one-time disposable cutlery
There are plenty of facts out there on why recycling is important, and there are so many good reasons for adding recycling to our routine from a personal or household level. Nevertheless, some of us might have neglected the importance of proper source separation, appropriate recycling manners and clean recycling practices. “It is so common to find recycling facilities and collection bins around the corner. However, some people simply drop anything not wanted into the recycling bins for the sake of convenience without taking into account that they might have made the contents of these bins unrecyclable and dirty. Some people believe that they are doing a favour by putting empty plastic bottles into corresponding recycling bins, but they might be unaware of the step of removing the lids, caps and packaging and rinsing out,” Joseph added.
Recycling bins are sometimes stuffed with other refuse, food waste and unfinished drinks
Workplace practices also help
There are other smart waste reduction ideas for offices as well which put zero burden on us. “We all have a choice to green our offices. We can eliminate unnecessary printing and set computers to automatically print two-sided. Network printing arrangement can be applied to achieve better resources management in offices. Reusable envelopes and outdated letterhead can be used for interoffice mail or in-house memo. When it comes to procurement, we can make our purchase in concentrate or bulk form. Bring and use our own cutleries is definitely a good habit, and we can arrange reusable cutleries for participants to enjoy refreshment at our events. Just re-think and there are plenty of ways to reduce waste in the workplace,” suggested by Joseph.
From personal responsibility to societal impact
Our government has a clear target of cutting municipal solid waste by 40% on a per capita basis by 2022. We need sustained efforts and consolidated actions to prevent and reduce waste. At one time or another we have all no doubt asked ourselves – how much do we discard daily? What are the items that we tend to get rid of just for the sake of convenience? Are we throwing out more waste than we thought?
All in all, we are under the same blue sky and our actions count. Before it’s too late, we all have to react and be held responsible for our behavioural change. It’s time to review ourselves and reduce as much as possible the waste sending to landfills.