Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan said on Monday that public awareness and participation in waste reduction and recycling efforts have increased in the wake of the administration's attempt to launch a charging scheme.

He said the current administration had already reversed an upward trend in waste generated, with the quantity of solid waste sent to landfills between January and June down 5 percent compared to the same period last year.

The comments came after the government confirmed in a document submitted to the Legislative Council last week that it would not implement the Municipal Solid Waste Charging scheme for the remainder of the current administration ending in June 2027.

Tse said the suspension doesn't mean the scheme, which he stressed is just a tool to promote waste reduction and recycling, had been abandoned. "We are not abolishing the scheme," he said.

"It could still be implemented in the future when the administration sees the right opportunity or need and there is broader public support."

Tse said the decision to postpone the scheme was made after considering various factors.

The administration attributed the halt to negative public feedback and economic pressures faced by businesses amid a complex global trade and geopolitical environment.

"Multiple surveys commissioned by the government or media organisations showed that about 70 to 80 percent of respondents believe that now is not the right time to implement the waste-charging scheme," Tse told an RTHK radio programme.

"We also contacted the trades to understand their views. You may have seen this in newspapers and other places, and the trades feel that now they are facing a shortage of manpower and challenges in operation.

"The economic climate is not that good right now."

Legco's panel on environmental affairs is set to discuss the matter in a meeting on Monday afternoon.