Waste-charging scheme will remain on the shelf indefinitely, Hong Kong confirms

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.

In a paper submitted to the legislature’s environmental panel for discussion next Monday, the bureau highlighted that the city was facing multiple challenges against the backdrop of a global trade war and an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape.

Feedback over the past few months showed that society did not support the scheme’s implementation due to the current challenges and pressures of economic transformation, the bureau said.

“Based on feedback from the public and industry, there is simply not enough social support to implement waste charging at this stage,” it said.