The manager of Cantonese restaurant SC Cuisine in Mong Kok displays one of the garbage bags he received during the pilot program in an interview with China Daily on April 2, 2024. (STEPHY ZHANG / CHINA DAILY)

Hong Kong’s pilot waste charging program, which launched on Monday, has garnered mixed feedback on its potential financial impact, with some participants saying the effect will be negligible, with others, particularly nursing homes that generate substantial waste, calling for lower prices.

The demonstration program — the prologue of citywide compulsory charges starting Aug 1 — includes 14 selected premises, including a government office, restaurants, shopping malls, nursing homes, and private residential buildings. The initial phase aims to gauge feedback and educate the community about the new system, with a report due to the Legislative Council as early as May.

Under the program, most waste from residential, commercial, and industrial premises must be discarded in prepaid designated garbage bags or attached with specific labels. These bags, to be sold in supermarkets and convenience stores, come in nine sizes, ranging from 3 to 100 liters, with prices ranging from HK$0.30 (3.80 US cents) to HK$11. Trial participants have received the bags for free.

Liam Wong and his four family members received 30 bags of 35 liters each after their residence — a private complex on Pei Ho Street in Sham Shui Po — joined the trial.

Wong said the bags are sufficient for a month’s use, considering that a 35-liter bag is enough for a household of five per day.

He said that after the trial run, he and his family believe that the program will have a limited impact on their lifestyle.

SC Cuisine, a Cantonese restaurant in Mong Kok, reported a smooth operation on day one, consuming nine 100-liter bags and a 50-liter one totaling HK$104.50. The manager, surnamed Chan, suggested lowering bag prices to help reduce future business costs.

Tuen Mun’s Kato Home For The Elderly, a private nursing home, used 25 of its 75-liter bags and one 35-liter bag on the first day, primarily for diaper disposal, according to Lau Kwok-wo, the facility’s executive director and administrative officer.

He highlighted the challenges of reducing the waste in nursing homes in the short term and estimated that the 100 free bags that the government provided will be sufficient for the next few days.

Elizabeth Quat Pei-fan, a member of the Legislative Council’s Panel on Environmental Affairs, suggested providing free garbage bags to nursing homes based on their waste output or exempting them from the fee. She recommended expanding the trial run to more premises to help the public become more familiar with the waste charging program.

However, lawmaker Frankie Ngan Man-yu proposed additional subsidies for nursing homes instead of waiving the fee, striking a balance between the user-pays principle and the actual needs of nursing homes.

The municipal solid waste charging initiative, previously slated for implementation on Monday, was postponed to Aug 1 to address a public outcry for clearer implementation details.

Contact the writers at stephyzhang@chinadailyhk.com