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Following are the opening remarks by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, at an event this afternoon (April 7) to announce the launch of a pilot scheme on municipal solid waste charging by the Environmental Protection Department:
Today we are very happy to announce the launch of the municipal solid waste charging pilot scheme. Seven estates are going to actively participate in this scheme. This would give very good and solid experience to the Council for Sustainable Development (SDC) as reference when they are formulating an opinion compilation that would be submitted to the Environment Bureau later this year.
Three methods will be tried out in these seven estates, including based on individual blocks by weight-based or volume-based, and also another option is based on individual households and based on individual plastic bags. The idea of the trial scheme is not to really find out which scheme is the best but to collect solid experience for the SDC as reference. The whole pilot scheme would last for about six months and that would give very good feedback to the SDC. Throughout the process, the Environmental Protection Department would provide support to monitor the results and also to announce the data as necessary.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the opening remarks.)
Ends/Monday, April 7, 2014
Issued at HKT 19:16
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