The government originally planned to implement the waste charging scheme on April 1, 2024. However, the details of the measures have raised public concerns, including environmental protection and waste recycling issues, regulatory details, and doubts about the charges. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu stated that he would strengthen publicity and education efforts and asked the Secretary for the Environment to respond to concerns and explain the details of implementation. Due to growing public concerns about waste charging, the Environment Bureau announced that it would postpone the statutory effective date to August 1 and implement some measures in advance on April 1.

Hong Kong uMax Data uses the social intelligence platform xMiner to analyze online data from news media, social media, and forums to understand netizens' concerns and related discussion directions regarding waste charging.

Garbage charging delayed to August 1stsparking heated debate.

From January 6th onwards, discussions regarding the waste charging scheme began to ferment, and after Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu's response to the waste charging issue on January 16th, a peak in discussion was triggered. Subsequently, the Environment Bureau announced on January 19th that the statutory effective date of the waste charging scheme would be postponed to August 1st, causing the volume of discussion to reach its peak for the month.

Netizens are most concerned about environmental protection and garbage recycling issues.

Facebook and forums account for the largest share of discussion volume.

Netizens onenvironmental protection and garbage recycling issues（34.7%）Expressing the most concern, many netizens pointed out that the "bag-in-bag" policy goes against the original intention of environmental protection, while some netizens questioned whether the designated plastic bags have biodegradable materials. In addition, some netizens are also confused about the details of the garbage collection facilities, not knowing how to properly dispose of garbage in the future.

Secondly，Regulatory issues （23.4%）andCharging issues（13.1%）It also sparked concern among netizens. Many netizens pointed out loopholes in the supervision, such as the possibility of counterfeit designated plastic bags and the difficulty of enforcement. In addition, some netizens believe that the waste charging scheme is equivalent to a hidden tax, and its purposeis not environmental protection,but a fine.

Besides, the focus of netizen discussions also centers onThe impact of policies on citizens' lives.（10.0%）.Many netizens believe that the policy has caused inconvenience and trouble for citizens. They are worried that the policy's impact on the economy.（6.3%），and satirized that more citizens would go to other areas to consume, and businesses and restaurants would therefore increase operating costs and find it difficult to make a living. Some netizens also pointed out that the policy mayincrease the workload of cleaning workers.， and questioned whether they would become the last link in handling garbage (5.5%). Netizens are also worried thatlittering may occur after the policy is implemented.（4.2%），such as a decrease in the number of trash cans on the street, blocked drains, and objects falling from heights. Some netizens also compared the policy withgarbage collection fee policies in Taiwan, Japan, and other regions (2.7%).

Environmental Protection and Waste Recycling Discussion Directions

From the word cloud, the most frequent terms are recycling (23,409 times), environmental protection (14,242 times), and plastic bags (12,875 times).

Designated plastic bag-related issues（47.4%）Many netizens are concerned about the authenticity, quality, and material of the designated garbage bags. Some netizens also expressed that they do not know how to dispose of large furniture waste such as long mops, and believe that the suggestion by Environmental Protection Department Assistant Director Hu Jingxin to saw wooden sticks and put them into designated garbage bags is unreasonable. Environmental issues （39.5%）:Netizens believe that using designated plastic bags does not align with environmental protection principles, and they point out that if these bags are not made of biodegradable material, they will generate even more plastic waste. Garbage Collection accessories（13.1%）:Some netizens expressed their willingness to bring recyclable waste to GREEN@COMMUNITY, food waste recycling machines, or other recycling stations to reduce the need for purchasing designated plastic bags. However, they also pointed out that the recycling network coverage is not extensive enough and the operating hours are not very convenient.

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Garbage charging, postponed to August 1st, has sparked heated discussion.