From HKFP, some pics from the typhoon, and some more (especially for fans of felled trees). And a clip via the Standard of people in Macau catching fish in flooded streets.
On other matters, the government gives up…
Hong Kong has confirmed that a long-delayed waste-charging scheme will remain on the shelf indefinitely, with the government saying the city continues to face economic challenges amid a global tariff war and rising geopolitical risks.
The Environment and Ecology Bureau announced the decision on Tuesday, two months after it was supposed to reveal the scheme’s future by the end of July.
The initiative had already been delayed twice and was originally shelved last May.
If you go to Japan, Taiwan and South Korea, you see ‘Pay As You Throw’ and recycling measures that have been in operation for some 10 or 20 years.
It’s not exactly clear to me how “rising geopolitical risks” affect the ability of the CCP’s HK muppet adminstration to get Mrs. Chan to pay for state-supplied garbage bags.
You might almost think they were worried that HK might not comply with the scheme, and thereby feel emboldened to rise up… or else, more likely, that we would all just buy fake bags in Shenzhen.
If you go to Japan, Taiwan and South Korea and many, many other countries you will find waste incinerators that have been in operation for 30, 40, even 50 years.
Most HK people like the simple & effective method of disposing of their rubbish in the rear stairwell. They are not adherents of the man-made climate change religion.
Once the high-income elitists disable their air cons & residential lifts, Mrs Chan & I will buy garbage bags and separate our rubbish.
Until then, Mrs Chan & I would like them to f*ck right off.
Lessons from Ragasa lashing Hong Kong’s coastal areas must be learned, experts say
Ah “experts say”! Given how long HK has been subject to typhoons I wonder how they became experts and why these are new lessons.
“If you go to Japan, Taiwan and South Korea, you see ‘Pay As You Throw’ and recycling measures that have been in operation for some 10 or 20 years.”
See??? Hong Kong people truly DO have REAL FREEDOM compared to their Asian neighbors!!!!! Enough of the naysayers with their anti mandatory patriotism, anti flag & anthem disrespect law, anti NatSec law, etc etc ad nauseam!
“ If you go to Japan, Taiwan and South Korea, you see ‘Pay As You Throw’ and recycling measures that have been in operation for some 10 or 20 years.”
They also have democratically elected governments with a real mandate when they passed these “pay as you throw” schemes.
Let’s start with a competently implemented recycling scheme and a few incinerators before we try to penalise individuals for all the plastic waste retailers add to packaging. I for one am glad the scheme is dead.
Those pesky geopolitical risks, they’re everywhere these days! Only the other day Mrs Reductio was on my case to finally paint the living room but she backed off when confronted by the geopolitical risks involved.
There is a simple option other than chucking out plastic etc with food waste.
I’m surprised none of you Big Lychee threaders seem to be aware of the “6 Recycling” depots set in repurposed shops in practically most neighbourhoods. Expat bubble I suppose.
You can get your pre-separated plastics, tins, glass bottles, paper weighed if you fancy a small cake or tub of instant noodles depending on the amount you’re recycling.
It doesn’t resolve the whole domestic waste issue but it gives me a sense of pride not contributing to landfill. There again, who knows where the stuff truly goes.
Living in a New Territories village, I always wondered how the government would implement waste charging in NT villages, where everyone carries their rubbish to a central collection point. Unless the government deploys thousands of officials to watch these disposal points around the clock and count everyone’s bags, there is no way to police how much people are chucking out. Furthermore, there would also be no way to prevent townies from driving out and dumping their surplus garbage for free. Moreocver, NT villagers bei8ng a lawless lot, any attempt to charge them would probably result in much more fly-tipping on unobserved waste ground. All the government propaganda on the scheme focused on how it would work in high-rise estates, and was conspicuously silent on these glaring weaknesses.
I agree with Load Toad regarding the status of waste disposal in villages
As for the “6 Recycling” centres, of course we’re aware of them, but villagers like us either have to drive out with our garbage or take our rubbish on the bus. Not exactly practical.
@someone
The SCMP sub-editors are obsessed with experts and can have a half dozen quoted per page on a slow news day. Hong Kong has always had more than its fair share of them, though. Who remembers Travel Expert in TST and Steak Expert in Wanchai? I’m sure there were others but they slip my mind.
Come on. Typhoons are the only excitement you get in HK these days.
“Unless the government deploys thousands of officials to watch these disposal points around the clock and count everyone’s bags, there is no way to police how much people are chucking out.”
Sounds like a potential “talent import” scheme bringing in thousands of new mainlanders.
The core issue re waste reduction is that the government shies away from dealing with the manufacturers and puts the responsibility on the consumer.
A neighbour discarded the packaging on a Stanley portable tumber, the ones that retail for around $500. It took me 10 mins to dismantle the intricate and very heavy cardbaord components of the box, three times the size of the tumbler.
The more posh super markets package every single piece of fruit on individual trays, SHK Yata, Great, etc taking it to estreme levels.
The customer pays for the over packaging and also has to lug the additional bulk home.
What is needed are measures to curb over packaging. The green bags were a ridiculous idea when we can reuse the many plastic bags produce comes in for garbage disposal.