Several countries and regions exemplify highly effective waste sorting and recycling systems whose practices offer valuable insights for improving county-level programs in the U.S.

Germany leads Europe in waste reduction by implementing an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system that holds manufacturers accountable for packaging waste.

The government enforces strict waste sorting and recycling laws, stimulating recycling industries and ensuring public compliance through legislation and oversight.

This comprehensive legal framework creates a systematic approach that balances enforcement with producer involvement.

South Korea uses a pay-as-you-throw model initiated in the mid-1990s, charging households for the amount of waste they discard.

This financial incentive, combined with strong government infrastructure and consistent public education campaigns, has shifted behavior toward rigorous source separation and recycling.

Seoul exemplifies centralized enforcement coupled with educational outreach to maintain waste volume reductions and high recycling rates.

Japan’s success is attributed to a long-term, phased strategy involving strict laws, continuous public education, and clear waste separation rules.

Over five decades, it has cultivated a culture of recycling embedded in daily life, preventing landfill overflow and promoting circular economy principles.

The government’s role is pivotal in maintaining enforcement and adapting policies as needed.

Sweden and other Nordic countries integrate material recovery with energy recycling supported by robust government policies.

Municipalities play key roles in providing accessible sorting services and incentivizing participation.

These nations focus on minimizing landfill use by combining public engagement, regulatory mandates, and sustainable incentives to maximize resource recovery.

The local government leads with regulatory frameworks, investments in waste services, and partnerships to sustain high diversion rates.

Several countries and regions exemplify highly effective waste sorting and recycling systems whose practices offer valuable insights for improving county-level programs in the U.S.

Germany leads Europe in waste reduction by implementing an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system that holds manufacturers accountable for packaging waste.

Title:

Content: The law of the administration of the Iraqi state and the coalition of state administration and the scepter of neighbors and wilayah and sustainable
Jassar Saleh Mufti
After the fall of the political regime in Iraq on 9 / 4 / 2003, there was a constitutional and political vacuum and the vision was not clear to the occupation authorities in order to take the appropriate decision. including the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Hague Conventions of 1907).
Given the complexity of the situation in Iraq and the signs of weak support from the countries that participated in the occupation of the United States (such as Spain), and the emergence of concern even in the United States about the legal status of the Coalition Provisional Authority and how it was established.
The Coalition Authority hastened to draft the State Administration Law and then formally hand over power to an Iraqi government on June 28, 2004, because the occupation forces are still present in Iraq.
Through our reading of the law of the administration of the state we see the need to highlight some of the things that we believe are worthy of discussion, and we also try to indicate the shortcomings of this law from our point of view and our goal is to contribute to the crystallization of views and visions before proceeding to write the new Iraqi constitution.
Conditions and demands preempt the signing of the coalition “State administration
Despite the announcements and promotion by Iraqi political forces for days on reaching agreements to establish a new political coalition, under the name of “state administration, ” the assertions of influential political forces prove that the coalition may not see the light soon, due to the conditions set by Sunni and Kurdish Arab parties in particular.
The coalition of “state administration ” is supposed to ensure the formation of the new government, headed by the candidate of the“ coordinating framework ” forces, Mohammed Shiaa al-Sudani.
Despite the passage of three days on several meetings between the political forces in the capital Baghdad and the city of Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region of Iraq, to form the new coalition, a prominent politician and a deputy in the parliament for its current session, told the “new Arab ” that the silence of the leader of the“ Sadrist movement ”, Muqtada al-Sadr, and not to comment so far on the current developments, spread concern in the political scene. The new government, which will not be different from its predecessors, is consensual, according to the quota system in terms of the distribution of ministries or sovereign positions in the state. ”
Stressing that the Sunni and Kurdish forces “openly announced a number of conditions and demands for the coordination framework, in exchange for accepting to join the coalition of state administration. ”
In this context, a member of the coalition of “victory ”, Hassan al-Bahadli, in a press interview, that“ there are leaders within the coordination framework have not yet signed the proposal to form (the coalition of state administration), because of points of disagreement between the parties of the framework. ”
Al-Bahadli did not mention the names of these leaders, but the “new Arab ”, he knew that the most prominent of them is“ Haider al-Abadi. ”
The KDP has conditions and demands in return for joining the “coalition of state administration, ” according to party member Repin Salam,“ representing the demands of the party ’ s public and the entire Kurdish people, ” according to him.
He pointed out to the "new Arab" that "the first conditions activate Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution on the demarcation of borders between the provinces and disputed areas, in addition to the enactment of the oil and gas law to regulate the financial and oil deal between Baghdad and Erbil, and stop the excesses of militias that exercise aggressive roles against the Kurdistan region."
"Among the demands, emptying the city of Sinjar in Mosul of armed manifestations, and the expulsion of the Workers' Party, and armed factions that protect and support the militants, as well as some demands related to the economic life of the region, including the share of the region from the federal budget," but pointed out that "agreement on the formation of the government will be difficult with the continued absence of the Sadrist movement from the political scene."
As for the member of the coalition "sovereignty" and MP in the Iraqi parliament Raad al-Dahlaki, he stressed that "the political situation is currently volatile, and variables are the ones that govern the scene in full, not agreements or general controls for political dealing."
“Our demands in order to enter into any project aimed at forming a government are the demands of the liberated cities affected, including the return of the displaced, compensation of the affected, disclosure of the fate of the disappeared, and turning the file of“ accountability and justice ” into a judicial file, and not to use and exploit it politically, as we want to be partners and not participants in the project of forming the state administration. ”
For his part, a member of the "Coordination Framework" Mohammed al-Sayhud, that "the demands of the Kurdish and Sunni brothers, respected in reality, but there are those who try to make its conditions and demands tools to block any project that serves the idea of   getting out of the current political impasse," considering in contact with "the new Arab", that "the lack of agreement of parties among them will lead to new crises, including what threatens the Iraqi economy."
“The demands made by the Sunni and Kurdish forces at the table of the coordinating framework parties that want to form a government are the same demands that are being made with the formation of each new government, ” he said, stressing that“ these conditions are not applied, because they are in fact not convincing demands for the rest of the political forces, and usually form the government based on the way of distributing posts and ministries, and not on the implementation of public demands. ”
So far, the “coalition of state administration ” includes a number of political forces, including the“ coordination framework ” that includes most of the Shiite Arab parties and armed factions, the “Azm ” alliance led by Muthanna al-Samarrai, the“ National Union ” headed by Pavel Talabani, and the “Babylon ” Christian bloc led by Rayan al-Chaldani.
For those who pray to pay the pace to completely crush all the joints of life in Iraq after the volcanic laser caesarean birth to damage the administration of the state … Om the coordinating framework Om Lamlum Albo Graida cousin Jaida, Murara and Sunaifra and daughters and children and grandchildren of Tariq and Albayraq and to death does not leave.
Although it was not officially announced (((((coalition of state administration))), but statements issued by leaders in the forces of the Coordinating Framework announced that the framework reached understandings with the Kurdish and Sunni parties to form a coalition "state administration", which will take on the process of forming the new Iraqi government.
The main Iraqi Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish political forces, with the exception of the Sadrist movement, are preparing to announce in the coming hours an alliance to run the state and resume the sessions of parliament suspended for months until the selection of a president and the nomination of a prime minister.
An informed Iraqi source said that an agreement has been reached between the main Iraqi political forces to form a coalition called the "coalition of state administration" that includes the coordination framework of the Shiite forces and the two Kurdish democratic parties headed by Massoud Barzani and the national headed by Pavel Talabani and the Sunni forces in the two alliances of sovereignty and resolve, while excluding the Sadrist movement led by Moqtada Sadr, who is now turning attention to his position on the new alliance.
The source confirmed that all the blocs belonging to the coalition of state administration has signed a document that included the demands of all blocs except the current.
He explained that there was no negotiation with the Sadrist movement and there is no committee to negotiate with him because he refused to receive any political delegation after the announcement of his leader Sadr to withdraw his deputies from parliament and retire from political work for the time being.
The source pointed out that these forces agreed to hold the session of the House of Representatives at its headquarters in the Green Zone in central Baghdad, where the place of the meeting was fully secured in agreement with Prime Minister Mustafa Kazimi.He explained that the candidate of the framework is Mohammed Shiaa al-Sudani, noting that the document that was signed includes many items on the rights of the oil-exporting provinces (petrodollars) as well as the law of oil and gas The issue of the return of displaced persons and the pledge to return them to their areas of origin provided that there is no judicial file against any returnee.
He added that the document included the desire of the (Sunni) blocs to remove the army and the crowd from the centers of cities as their tasks are not within them as it was agreed that this will be after a budget is provided for the establishment and rehabilitation of special centers to ensure stability and fit their work and demand balance in state departments.
He pointed out that the election law will be amended and the elections will be held after a year of amendment and extradition of the wanted to the judiciary and not to shelter them at any party and the unification of customs policy on land, sea and airports for all of Iraq.
The document stressed the holding of provincial elections before the legislative elections, and the formation of the government according to the principle of compatibility and electoral entitlements, and the abolition of the governor acting and the governor who fails to perform it is said, as is the issuance of the amnesty law and excludes him from work with terrorist organizations or assisted terrorism or listed by security authorities.
It was agreed to work on the elimination of terrorism and corruption and work to restore the prestige of the state and maintain the institutions of the state and work on the manufacture of a service government to start investment, construction and reconstruction and work to support the government to implement the program, which was seen by all parties.
This movement comes as leaflets were distributed in Baghdad calling for the mobilization of demonstrations in the capital and the provinces of the south and central next Saturday to commemorate the widespread popular protests witnessed by Iraq on October 1, 2019 and the overthrow of its previous government.
It is noteworthy that Iraq is witnessing a serious political blockage since the early elections in the country on October 10, 2021 as a result of the failure of the Iraqi political forces to nominate a new head of government as well as the selection of a new president of the Republic.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Fanad close to the leader of the Fatah Alliance Hadi al-Amiri, on Sunday, talk about the announcement of the "coalition of state administration" officially this evening.
The source close to the agency, Shafaq News, that "talk about holding a press conference in the house of Amiri in order to announce the" coalition of state administration "officially is incorrect, there is no conference held today, and there is no official announcement of this coalition."
He added that the announcement of this order depends on reaching understandings with the leader of the Sadrist movement Muqtada al-Sadr, in order not to escalate with his supporters in the street, and the promotion of the announcement of this coalition was through one party of the coordination framework and Amiri has nothing to do with this promotion.
He also stressed that "Amiri is not with the announcement of a coalition without understanding with Sadr first."
These developments come after informed political sources revealed, on Sunday, a phone call, which took place between the leader of the Sadrist movement Moqtada al-Sadr and the head of the sovereignty alliance Khamis Khanjar.
The sources told Shafaq News that "the contact discussed at the beginning of the accession of the Alliance of Sovereignty to the (coalition of state administration) hoped to be formed soon and know the opinion of Sadr this step," noting that "the dagger assured Sadr that the accession of sovereignty does not mean standing with the framework against the current, and stressed to continue to coordinate positions with Sadr."
She added that "the dagger told Sadr that the accession of sovereignty to (the coalition of state administration), if done permanently, sovereignty will work during his presence in this coalition to achieve the demands raised by the Sadrist movement, especially the dissolution of the House of Representatives and the holding of early elections."
The sources explained that "Sadr and Khanjar agreed to hold a meeting soon without specifying a date to bring together the leader of the Sadrist movement with the leader of the Alliance of Sovereignty and a delegation of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, to strengthen communication and coordination between the three parties."
In the context, the Iraqi politician and former MP Meshaan al-Jubouri, in a tweet, that "will be announced this evening the" coalition of state administration ", which includes determination, sovereignty, democracy, the Union of Kurdistan, Babylon and the forces of the framework."
Jubouri explained that "the political agreement included a commitment to the legislation of amnesty and oil laws and the removal of non-local forces from the liberated cities and address the file of the missing and early elections within a year and a half."
The coordination framework seeks to embrace the new coalition the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Sunni Sovereignty Alliance, the former allies of the Sadrist movement, to form a consensus government, but informed sources revealed to the site “Raise your voice ” that some forces within the framework are working to be an alternative to the coordination framework in order to attract Sadr in the future to join the coalition.
But Ali al-Fatlawi, the leader of the Fatah Alliance, one of the main forces in the coordination framework, denied to the site “raise your voice ” the existence of any attempts to dismantle the coordination framework.
He added: “What is being discussed on this subject is absolutely untrue. ”
Al-Fatlawi pointed out that "the framework works to be a calm in the political process and there is a participation between the political forces to preserve balances and work in a real partnership that serves the people and the state, but the new thing that the framework is who will bear the governmental responsibility before the international community and the Iraqi people."
The Presidency of the Iraqi Council of Representatives announced on Monday the resumption of parliamentary sessions as of Wednesday, two months after the suspension of its sessions after the storming of the Council building by demonstrators belonging to the Sadrist movement on July 30.
The return session, on Wednesday, a vote to reject the resignation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives Mohammed Halbusi from his post.
Baghdad and Erbil witnessed during the past days many meetings between the political parties to form a coalition of "state administration".
Hisham al-Rikabi, director of the press office of the head of the coalition of state law Nuri al-Maliki, on Monday, the formation of the new coalition.
He wrote in a tweet: “On the blessing of God the ship of the coalition of state administration sailed, ” without giving further details.
Although the resumption of parliamentary sessions and the continuation of the coordination framework in the formation of a consensus government is contrary to the demands of the Sadrist movement during the past months, but the leader of the movement Moqtada al-Sadr has not issued any comments so far on what is currently happening on the Iraqi scene.
In contrast, the head of the political body of the Sadrist movement, Nassar al-Rubaie, in an interview on the sidelines of his participation in the Rafidain Forum that "the Iraqi state collapses if it continues to be managed according to the system of total consensus, because the parties did not absorb an important variable entered the political process is popular pressure," describing the march of the political process from 2003 to 2019 "sterile.
Al-Rubaie explained that the position of the Sadrist movement from the ongoing attempts to form the next government is waiting for the decision of the leader of the movement Muqtada al-Sadr, noting that they in the current will implement the decision of Sadr to the letter.
The writer and political analyst, Ali al-Baydar, that the steps under way on the Iraqi scene "political maneuvers," noting that it can not be called attempts to end the crisis on these "political maneuvers."
Al-Baider adds to the site “Raise your voice ”,“ What is currently happening is circumventing reality or trying to form a trench without Sadr ’ s will.
"Unless Sadr is satisfied and realistic guarantees are given, we cannot say that there is a solution on the horizon."
Al-Baydar believes that the demonstrations scheduled to start on October 1 may create an internal crisis in the political system.
Thus, Iraq is facing a complex crisis, which may represent a fatal blow to the political process in the country.
Al-Baid continues: "It seems that the political parties that were intending to meet Sadr did not get assurances by the framework.
This will help keep the crisis as it is. ”
The political stalemate in Iraq for about a year resulted in armed clashes between factions affiliated with the Sadrist movement and the coordination framework during the last 29 and 30 August, leaving 30 dead and hundreds wounded on both sides.
The clashes ended at the time when the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, called for his supporters to withdraw from the Green Zone, but the fears of Iraqis to repeat these clashes did not end in light of the deepening political crisis and the possession of weapons by the parties to the conflict.
There is an urgent and important news, strategic and drama Tiki and Barbokendi, even late, but it matters to the citizen and the banks closed and blockages as a result of riding a wild horse and a runaway saddle as a result of the reach and participatory cluster and the predominance of the third party and the sniper: and environmental and human rights activists.
The coalition aims to form a pressure group to push for the development and implementation of a sound strategy and an effective and sustainable implementation plan for solid waste management in the whole country in particular.
“So far, governments have not developed an integrated waste management plan, from awareness campaigns to serious actions to reduce the use of certain single-use materials and encourage the use of recyclable materials and reuse. ”
She added: "We have not seen any concrete initiative to expand the sorting and sintering laboratories and raise their capacity and efficiency, on the contrary, some of the laboratories have stopped operating."
She pointed out that the government has not developed a national strategy for waste management and is contrary to international laws and national conventions “by passing non-environmental options such as marine landfills and expanding them, filling the sea with waste and adopting incinerators and promoting them as irreplaceable options. ”
The Coalition seeks to work with all legitimate means of pressure on the government and all authorities and departments concerned, in order to develop and implement an effective and sustainable strategy and an implementation plan for environmentally sound management of the waste sector, through networking, alliance, advocacy, awareness, media and legal means. ”
“This plan is based on the principles of integrated waste management, which begins with the mitigation of its production first, then its reuse, recycling and manufacture, and ends with the final disposal of residues through technologies appropriate to the national reality, and that respect national and global environmental standards. ”
The general concepts of the coalition, which came in the following points
Minimizing waste production and adopting the circular economy principle as essential for a sustainable environmental and economic future.
Material recovery and valorization is the preferred choice for the management of all household, commercial and industrial waste.
Recycling is a value-added activity for our community, helping to create green jobs that strengthen the local economy.
Recycling is a shared responsibility, requiring the participation of citizens and the cooperation of all – producers, importers, consumers, local and central administrations.
Government tax policies provide direct and indirect incentives to mitigate waste production and use of recycled materials, promote new recycling technologies, and develop infrastructure for environmentally sound waste management phases.
Enabling local authorities legislatively, institutionally, technically and financially to manage solid waste treatment operations.
Develop an integrated and sustainable national strategy for solid waste management, by the government in cooperation with local authorities, establish environmental and financial monitoring standards, and coordinate associated projects.
Facilitate the implementation of this management in practice by municipalities and federations of municipalities, in cooperation with civil society organizations.
Waste treatment projects comply with Lebanese laws and international treaties and agreements to protect the environment, adopt transparent and sound management standards, and preserve the public good.
Adhere to the principles stipulated in the Environmental Protection Law such as the principle of precaution, the principle of preventive action, the principle of avoiding the degradation of natural resources, the protection of the environment and the proper management of natural resources.
The coalition had directed the withdrawal of the decision to adopt incinerators as a solution for the management of solid waste in the city of Beirut because of its great harm to the environment, the health of citizens and the Lebanese economy, and held the coalition responsible for taking the decision to adopt incinerators or what it calls “thermal disintegration ” under the review of the competent judiciary.
In conclusion, the Coalition called on all those who wish to join them to contribute by putting pressure on the authorities and implementing environmentally sound waste plans, as well as contribute by reducing the production of waste, sorting and recycling.
He called to visit their website to learn more about the work of the coalition and its activities.
About the Waste Management Coalition:
The Coalition is a group of environmental organizations and activists who came together to coordinate efforts for the sound management and treatment of solid waste in Lebanon in general, and Beirut in particular, in light of the lack of a comprehensive vision and strategy for this sector, the multiplicity of proposals and the failure of national authorities to find sustainable solutions for health and environment.
The aim of the coalition is to pressure the authorities involved in solid waste management to develop and implement a sustainable strategy and implementation plan for the management of this sector.
The Coalition works to achieve an integrated participatory basis for waste, starting with the mitigation of its production first, then its reuse, recycling, manufacture, and recovery of value, and ending with the final disposal through technologies appropriate to the national reality and that respect national and global environmental standards.
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The government enforces strict waste sorting and recycling laws, stimulating recycling industries and ensuring public compliance through legislation and oversight.

This comprehensive legal framework creates a systematic approach that balances enforcement with producer involvement.

Title:

Content: Bauhinia Party ｜ Refresh Waste Charges
Author: 01 Forum
Published: Updated:
Like most Hong Kong people, I did not have any concept or awareness of garbage collection, until I heard that it was officially implemented on April 1 this year, and I began to pay attention to it.
In fact, the legislation on waste charging has been passed by the Legislative Council as early as August 2021, and the specific provisions of waste charging are actually very simple and clear, that is, based on the "polluter pays" principle, all waste, whether from individuals, families or groups, or according to the pre-purchased designated garbage bags, or according to the weight of the waste, the "entry fee".
As for the government's intention to implement waste charging, it is also very clear and simple, that is, to force the public to reduce waste and recycle through charging, and promote the sustainable development of ecology.
Author ： Zhou Xiaojao
Although the rules are simple and clear, it is not so easy to really land.
In order to pay less, people will try to pack more garbage into garbage bags. How should those crowded garbage bags be tracked and handled? In order to pay less, people will dispose of their garbage in public places such as streets, parks, markets, shopping malls, etc., how should such behavior be identified and enforced? As for the different groups that produce large amounts of waste, as well as the property, cleaning, refuse collection and other organizations that assist in the disposal of waste, a series of countermeasures are also required.
It is in view of the complexity of implementation that the Government has set aside a preparation period of up to 18 months for the formal implementation of the Ordinance.
However, the general public, like the author, did not really start to pay attention to the new policy, which will affect every household, until the first two or three months of its implementation, and there was a lot of uncertainty and doubt. Ming. "
But the question is, is the disruption caused by garbage charges really just a problem of insufficient publicity?
How to deal with garbage is an old problem faced by cities, especially large cities.
Specifically, there are three core issues surrounding the garbage problem: First, how to control the amount of garbage generated? Second, how to encourage the classification of garbage management? Third, how to deal with different types of garbage? The first issue mainly relates to the source of garbage: how to avoid excessive packaging?
How to promote the environmental protection of packaging materials? The second issue relates to the recycling of waste: how to guide the public to separate and collect different types of waste according to the difficulty of recycling? The third issue relates to the fate of waste: simple stacking, centralized landfill or recycling, incineration and power generation?
In response to the above garbage issue, Hong Kong has not made a satisfactory response for a long time, let alone effective action.
The lunch boxes purchased on the street are still foam or plastic that cannot be decomposed. Shopping bags provided by shopping malls are also plastic products, and the goods purchased from the mainland are wrapped in plastic layer after layer.
There was a time when Hong Kong encouraged the classification of kitchen waste and the production of agricultural fertilizer from kitchen waste. Unfortunately, this good practice failed to persist, and the public has not formed a self-awareness of garbage classification.
A large amount of waste has been sent to the countryside to landfill without any sorting. The existing three major landfills are already overwhelmed, and facilities such as waste power generation have taken more than 10 years to start.
Solving the waste problem itself is a systematic project, involving all aspects, coupled with the interests of thousands of households and changes in living habits, so each country in the disposal of the waste issue mostly adopt a gradual, tailored, durable strategy.
Japan is recognized as the best country in terms of waste disposal. The key to its success is the gradual development of a sense of garbage sorting through half a century of sustained efforts and strict laws and regulations.
Mainland China also tries to start with garbage sorting, although there is a strong enforcement force, but the government still dare not play a game of chess across the country, but choose some cities to pilot first, and then gradually push to the whole country.
In contrast, Hong Kong, which has been lagging behind on garbage disposal, naively uses “polluter pays ” as the ultimate“ killer ’ s mace ” in an attempt to “get it done. ”
This mentality is understandable, but can a simple, one-size-fits-all waste charge really solve the waste problem facing Hong Kong?
Can you encourage eco-friendly packaging?
Can you promote garbage separation?
More importantly, can the current waste charging design really reduce the amount of waste generated?
I am afraid the answers to these questions are not as optimistic as the Government thinks.
If Hong Kong ’ s waste challenge is not effectively addressed, then what is the point of this policy, which costs the time and money of all citizens and stakeholders?
For example, in order to make up for the long-term inaction on reclamation, the SAR Government hastily launched the HK $trillion-dollar Lantau Island Construction Project in the absence of full consultation with the community, making it difficult for the project to ride under the current internal and external environment. The awkward situation.
The author is not sure whether garbage collection will also face similar experiences, but if the publicity and communication in the next few months can not convince the community that the relevant garbage collection policy can effectively solve the garbage problem faced by Hong Kong, then it is necessary for the SAR Government to suspend the implementation of the relevant policy, and redesign the plan to be more gradual and targeted, focusing on effectively solving the waste generation, waste management and recycling. A series of policies, and consistent implementation.
In fact, the above doubts about the government ’ s waste charging policy have emerged since the government first introduced the relevant bill to the Legislative Council in 2018.
Although the Bills Committee set up at that time to scrutinize the relevant bills supported the direction of the Government's waste reduction policy, it also made a large number of recommendations on the effective implementation of the relevant policies. Some members even held different views on whether the relevant fees could achieve the preset targets.
The Government has also responded to the views of the Bills Committee, including improving waste reduction and recycling measures and providing assistance to those in need.
Regrettably, these reasonable measures should be perfect in the two years after the passage of the relevant regulations in the preparatory stage either in the form, or the lack of publicity, and ultimately let this in the design of the innate deficiencies, in the landing and inadequate preparation of the waste reduction policy is likely to fall into the eyes of the public "workers hurt money" and abandoned halfway.
The author, Zhou Xiaojui, is a researcher at the Bauhinia Institute for Policy Studies.
The article is only the opinion of the author and does not represent the position of Hong Kong 01.
Please email us at 01view @ hk01.com.
Please attach the author ’ s real name and contact details.
If not applicable, no notice will be given.

South Korea uses a pay-as-you-throw model initiated in the mid-1990s, charging households for the amount of waste they discard.

Title:

Content: Hong Kong ’ s slow progress in environmental governance – why not look at the Greater Bay Area and the world?
Author: Liu Mengting
Published: Updated:
In 2005, the SAR Government proposed to develop a recycling economy, that is, to reduce the environmental burden by repairing, recycling and extending the service life of materials, to find a way out for recycling recyclable materials, and to promote the development of related industries and promote economic diversification.
However, more than a decade later, Hong Kong ’ s circular economy has not made much progress.
In this regard, some scholars suggest leveraging the advantages of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
At the same time, Hong Kong ’ s waste management policy is not yet climate, and we must match the experience of “top students ” such as Korea, Taiwan and Singapore.
Circular Economy Enemies the Greater Bay Area
Professor Patrick Poon, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, has been developing a patented technology for converting waste glass into environmentally friendly bricks since the 1990s, with a view to improving the recycling efficiency of waste glass.
Green brick is a kind of concrete brick, can effectively use construction waste and waste glass, the third generation of green brick has been put into the market as paving brick.
For more than 20 years, the technology has been optimized by scholars to the fifth generation, but it is still “technology without market ”.
In an interview with "Hong Kong 01" recently, Poon mentioned the two main reasons why the development of the local green brick industry is hindered, which is also the dilemma faced by Hong Kong's circular economy.
Pan Chih-sheng says that the research on green bricks has been successful, but the price is not competitive. (photo by O'Cara)
One of the main reasons is that local manufacturing has caused the high enterprise products to lose market advantage. Poon analysis, because the whole production process of environmentally friendly bricks produced in Hong Kong is completed in Hong Kong, and the land price and labor in Hong Kong are very high, and the price has also risen with the water. It is necessary to open up the market to achieve maximum trade liberalization, so the possibility of contractors choosing Hong Kong materials for profit considerations is very low.
On the other hand, the Hong Kong government has not introduced relevant policies to require the actual use of environmentally friendly materials, in the absence of just the premise, the market share of environmentally friendly bricks is unstable, and the current use of the third generation of environmentally friendly bricks is about 20% more expensive than natural sand bricks, so the project side may not consider the use of environmentally friendly bricks.
Another major obstacle is that the government did not help. Pan Zhisheng pointed out that environmental protection bricks are made of recycled materials, although the quality and performance of the bricks are not lost to natural sand and stone, but the quality difference is greater.
However, according to the existing government regulations, the two are regarded as the same, that is, the quality of environmentally friendly materials is too high, but it may still be regarded as unqualified due to the degree of quality difference. This single regulation is a constraint for the application of environmentally friendly bricks. If the outlook does not improve, it will be more difficult to attract investors.
Under such a vicious cycle, the government has no intention to invest or give support, and the environmental protection brick industry chain has become a dead end.
The recycling rate of local waste in Hong Kong is low, and exports are facing many restrictions.
In an interview with Hong Kong 01, Wong Woon-chung, director of the Johan Centre for Applied Forestry Research in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), Hong Kong Baptist University, pointed out that the land resources in Hong Kong are tight, such as the opening of a recycling plant for recycled materials will double the cost.
Mr Wong stressed that the circular economy requires complementary advantages from different regions. There is no way out if the development vision is limited to Hong Kong. (photo by Mr Cheng Tze-feng)
Waste management in Hong Kong is inefficient and should be seen around the world
South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan implemented waste levies in 1995, 1996 and 2000 respectively. Since then, they have gradually developed comprehensive and mature environmental policies with local characteristics.
Hong Kong's waste management system has been fragmented for many years, and it is time to look at the world and learn from advanced experience and thinking.
Hong Kong ’ s waste management policy has not been good for many years, and the climate should be on par with other regions. (Photo by Tsai Cheng-pong)
Korea has introduced waste utilization measures in a multi-pronged manner to achieve long-term management, so the Korean waste management system is at the forefront of Asia.
For example, the city of Seoul, which has achieved the most remarkable results, introduced a series of supporting measures in a few years to change the entire waste treatment model, public perception of waste and living habits after the implementation of the garbage levy system in 1995.
In contrast, the Hong Kong Government is always "discussing" with the industry and "considering" the initiatives of environmental protection groups.
Taiwan is also a leader in waste management in Asia.
The Taiwan government sent a special cleaning team to collect household waste from residents using two types of recycling trucks – yellow garbage trucks are used to collect general waste from residents using official garbage bags, and white garbage trucks are used to collect raw and cooked food waste, plastic and other recyclable resources.
As early as 1997, the Taiwan Environmental Protection Agency launched the "Resource Recovery 4-in-1 Program", which fully mobilized the role of the government, manufacturers, consumers and licensed recycling enterprises in waste management, not only to skillfully distribute the financial costs, but also to reflect the principle of impartiality.
Singapore has a small population, similar to Hong Kong, but the waste recycling work is more professional and centralized.
In Singapore, three waste management enterprises are licensed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) to provide waste collection and recycling services to residents in different parts of the country. The waste is meticulously classified into paper, plastic, glass and metal, and the garden waste is collected separately.
In the recycling process, incineration plants reduce the volume of waste by 90%, and then use 3% of non-incineration and non-recyclable waste to landfill to reduce the environmental burden.
According to statistics, Singapore ’ s solid waste recycling rate reached 51.7% in 2020, a model that Hong Kong can learn from.
As for the administrative efficiency of the Mainland, it is also worth reflecting on the Hong Kong government. In July 2019, Shanghai implemented what has been described as the “world ’ s most stringent ” waste separation measure.
First of all, its domestic waste is strictly divided into four categories, namely recyclables, hazardous waste, wet waste and dry waste; secondly, if individuals or units do not dispose of garbage in accordance with the classification, they will be punished with severe high fines.
Under the mandatory implementation of the government, Shanghai residents have achieved good environmental protection results after experiencing "pain".
The Garbage Levy Ordinance has already been introduced, but the Government must not be complacent about it, but must think about how to tie in with the Ordinance in the next step, and adopt a systematic and comprehensive thinking to achieve long-term waste management.
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This financial incentive, combined with strong government infrastructure and consistent public education campaigns, has shifted behavior toward rigorous source separation and recycling.

Seoul exemplifies centralized enforcement coupled with educational outreach to maintain waste volume reductions and high recycling rates.

Japan’s success is attributed to a long-term, phased strategy involving strict laws, continuous public education, and clear waste separation rules.

Over five decades, it has cultivated a culture of recycling embedded in daily life, preventing landfill overflow and promoting circular economy principles.

The government’s role is pivotal in maintaining enforcement and adapting policies as needed.

Sweden and other Nordic countries integrate material recovery with energy recycling supported by robust government policies.

Municipalities play key roles in providing accessible sorting services and incentivizing participation.

These nations focus on minimizing landfill use by combining public engagement, regulatory mandates, and sustainable incentives to maximize resource recovery.

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Content: Circular Economy : 18 EU Member States at risk of missing waste targets

Which countries are at risk of missing the 2025 targets for preparing for re-use and recycling of municipal and all packaging waste and the 2035 landfill target? The European Commission answered this question in a recently published early warning report. But first the good news. Nine Member States are on track to meet the 2025 targets: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Slovenia.

And just as a reminder, these are the targets set out in the Waste Framework Directive and the Directive on packaging and packaging waste we are talking about:

  • 55% recycling and preparing for reuse of municipal waste;
  • 65% recycling for total packaging waste;
  • and material-specific packaging waste recycling targets (75% for paper and cardboard, 70% for glass, 70% for ferrous metals packaging, 50% for aluminium, 50% for plastic and 25% for wood).

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Bad news for some countries

And now the bad news: 18 Member States are at serious risk of missing one or both of the 2025 targets.

Estonia, Finland, France, Ireland, Latvia, Portugal, Spain and Sweden are at risk of missing the municipal waste target.

Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania and Slovakia are at risk of missing both the municipal waste and the total packaging waste targets for 2025.

In addition, some countries continue to landfill most of their municipal waste and are likely to miss the 2035 landfill target. The Commission is making recommendations to these Member States, building on the ongoing financial and technical support provided to improve waste management performance. These recommendations cover a wide range of actions: reducing non-recyclable waste, increasing re-use, promoting separate collection, developing treatment capacity for sorting and recycling, improving governance, using economic instruments and raising awareness.

"Implementing waste reduction and recycling measures on the ground is key for our circular economy transition. Turning waste into resources helps us on the way to climate neutrality, increases the security of supply of energy and raw materials, and creates local jobs and innovation opportunities. The early warning report allows us, in close cooperation with the Member States, to detect shortcomings, take action ahead of the deadlines for meeting the targets, and share best practices in sound waste management," said Virginijus Sinkevičius, Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries

Waste generation on the rise

On average, Europeans generate 530 kg of municipal waste per person per year (waste from households and similar waste from businesses). Although it is increasingly recycled and less landfilled, municipal waste (MSW) is still one of the most complex waste streams to manage. In the EU, about 50% of MSW is recycled or composted and 23% is landfilled. The amount of packaging waste generated is constantly increasing. Between 2013 and 2020, the amount of packaging waste generated in the EU will increase by 15% to almost 80 million tonnes. Around 64% of packaging waste is now recycled, although this varies by material. More than 75% of paper, cardboard and metal packaging is recycled, but less than 40% of plastic packaging - a problem in most EU countries, many of which are at risk of missing the material-specific target for plastic packaging waste recycling.

The early warning report allows us, in close cooperation with the Member States, to detect shortcomings, take action ahead of the deadlines for meeting the targets, and share best practices in sound waste management.
Virginijus Sinkevičius, Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries

Significant differences between Member States

Looking at the report, one thing is clear: There are considerable differences in waste management performance across the EU. Some countries still have a long way to go to meet the targets agreed in EU legislation and further reforms are needed, in particular to ensure the treatment of biowaste, which accounts for a third of municipal waste, to ensure separate collection of waste - a prerequisite for recycling - and to improve data quality. However, most EU countries have introduced or are in the process of introducing waste reforms to improve recycling rates, some of which are expected to bear fruit in the coming years.

The results were also influenced by external factors, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which reduced or stopped separate collection in some countries. The recent rise in energy prices is also having a negative impact on recycling activities.

The early warning report builds on the Environmental Implementation Review, which had already identified problems with the implementation of EU waste legislation. In particular, almost 2000 illegal or substandard landfills are still operating in the EU, representing a significant source of pollution and greenhouse gases and a missed opportunity for the recovery of secondary raw materials.

The local government leads with regulatory frameworks, investments in waste services, and partnerships to sustain high diversion rates.