Recently, the New Fortune Services Association’s “Pick Platform” and Green Earth Conservation Society organized a major debate on grassroots workers and garbage collection fees. Some unions have expressed concerns that the problem of illegal dumping may worsen in the future. They criticized the government for not adequately communicating and explaining to cleaning workers, leading to a lack of understanding of policy penalties and enforcement methods.
Chairman of the Cleaning Service Industry Union, Wong Nai Yuan, stated that there was no comprehensive consultation on garbage collection fees. Workshops and briefings organized by the Environmental Protection Department and the industry did not invite cleaning workers, resulting in insufficient information for them to understand policy penalties and enforcement methods. Although the government distributed a 66-page “Good Practice Guide,” cleaning workers may not have the time or ability to read it in detail, fearing legal consequences.
Vice Chairman of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Staff Rights Union, Li Mei Xiao, also mentioned that the government’s briefing on garbage fees never invited cleaning workers to attend. Frontline workers are filled with confusion, with some indicating that they would consider resigning if there is a risk of facing criminal sanctions.
The organizer of the forum, “Pick Platform,” stated that government departments were invited to attend, but most did not respond, and some responses were unable to attend.
The government recently postponed the garbage collection fee policy until August 1 this year. When asked on a news program, Chief Executive Xie Zhan Huan responded that there is no rush to make a decision on implementing the garbage collection fee by August 1. The authorities will deploy it after completing the “trial first” for garbage collection fees. He mentioned that in the “trial first” program implemented at the beginning of the month, feedback indicated that the bag design was inappropriate, the organic waste recycling service needed to be enhanced, and participation levels varied in different areas.
Xie Zhan Huan disclosed that only over 10% of residents in buildings without management participate, while participation rates in residential and private buildings may exceed half. He described a significant disparity in public perception of the policy, with only a few believing that waste sorting and reduction are beneficial, while the majority see it as a disturbance.
Regarding the former Environment Bureau Director’s recommendation for the current government to face challenges head-on and not miss the opportunity, Xie stated that the government will actively promote waste reduction and recycling but not against public opinion. The authorities will report on the results of the “trial first” program to the Legislative Council in May and June before deciding on the next steps. Simultaneously, they will gather feedback from residents and institutions on the design of designated bags. In the coming months, all public housing estates will have organic waste recycling machines installed.