Should Designated Bags be Bought for Private Residential Households?

Currently, some property management companies (PMCs) providing property management services to private residential properties have been purchasing garbage bags on behalf of the households and distributing those bags to them regularly. PMCs should discuss and decide soonest possible with relevant owners’ corporations (OCs)/owners’ organisations (OOs) the supply arrangements for designated bags/designated labels for residents after the implementation of MSW charging on 1 August.

The most effective way to drive waste reduction is to allow the households to purchase appropriate-sized designated bags/designated labels for disposing of waste through sales points and online platforms authorised by the EPD, allowing them to experience the "Polluter Pays" and "Dump Less, Save More" principles direct. PMCs should make good use of the preparation period to promote and explain the arrangements of MSW charging to the households, and consider posting notices to provide the information of sales points for the households' reference.

However, during the initial implementation of MSW charging, PMCs may also choose to assist households in purchasing and distributing designated bags. This arrangement facilitates households to develop a new habit of using designated bags for waste disposal, which in turn enhances compliance rate. Possible misunderstandings and increased work pressure between frontline PMC staff and households in case of non-compliance or complaints from households would also be reduced. As for designated labels, since the expected demand will be much lower than that of designated bags, PMCs may sell them to households when necessary.