Abstract
In Hong Kong, problems involving solid waste management have become an urgent matter in recent years. To solve these problems, the Hong Kong government proposed three policies, namely, waste charging, landfill extension, and development of new incinerators. In this study, a large sample questionnaire survey was conducted to examine the knowledge and attitude of residents on the three policies, the amount of their daily waste disposal, and their willingness to pay (WTP). Results reveal that only 22.7% of respondents are aware of the earliest time that one of the landfills will be sated, and more than half of respondents support the three policies. However, more than one third of residents (36.1%) are unwilling to pay the minimum waste charge amount of HK$30 estimated by the Council for Sustainable Development in Hong Kong. Logit model results indicate that five key factors affect WTP, namely, knowledge of residents on the timing of landfill fullness, degree of support in waste charge policy, amount of daily waste disposal, age, and income. These results suggest that strong and rigorous promotional and educational programs are needed to improve the knowledge and positive attitude of residents towards recycling methods and the three policies. However, subsidy should be provided to low-income groups who cannot afford to pay the waste charge.
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Acknowledgments
This study constitutes part of a project commissioned by the World Green Organization in Hong Kong. Data collection was conducted by the Statistical Consultancy Unit of the City University of Hong Kong under the supervision of Mr Don Wu. The authors thank the World Green Organization for their permission to publish part of the project work. The authors are also grateful to the Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong for providing information on the population to verify the representativeness of the sample.
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Yeung, I.M.H., Chung, W. Factors that affect the willingness of residents to pay for solid waste management in Hong Kong. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 7504–7517 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-1009-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-1009-8