A source said on Sunday that authorities would not introduce the waste-charging scheme on August 1 as scheduled, nor would they set a specific launch date. “A suspension is a pragmatic and reasonable approach,” the insider said. “As for whether a new [launch] date needs to be set, it is difficult to predict for the time being.
“It is unclear when there will be sufficient recycling facilities ...
We ought not to impose a certain implementation date.” The government had initially planned to implement the scheme by the end of 2023 but postponed it to April 1 after the waste collection sector raised concerns about the workforce being stretched during the Christmas and Lunar New Year holidays. Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan told lawmakers last July that the April 1 launch date was “definite” and would “not be extended”.
The postponement to August 1 was announced earlier in January..