Ombudsman Jack Chan announced on Tuesday that he has launched an investigation into construction waste recycling services provided by the government, as well as its work in combating illegal dumping. The government implemented the Construction Waste Disposal Charging Scheme almost two decades ago and also rolled out a pilot scheme in 2021 for people to make reservations for recycling construction waste through the app "HoHoSkips". But Chan noted that waste is still illegally disposed of in public places. "This not only causes inconvenience and safety hazards for the public and road users but also affects environmental hygiene and requires additional public resources for disposal," he said in a statement. Chan also said data suggests the app might be underused. "Therefore, I have decided to launch this direct investigation operation to scrutinise the existing management of construction waste, including the EPD's control and preventive measures against illegal disposal of construction waste, specific details and operating situations of the 'HoHoSkips' service, how its effectiveness is monitored, and relevant promotion and publicity initiatives." The public have until December 27 to submit any views they have on the matter.
