A man wearing a refuse worker uniform was spotted throwing an untied trash bag into the sea in a video which circulated online on Monday.
The Facebook clip featured a middle-aged man wearing a blue shirt and safety vest commonly worn by Food and Environment Hygiene Department (FEHD) contractors. He appeared to carry an untied trash bag a short distance before dumping it off a pier, and then kicked at another piece of debris. It is unclear when the video was taken.
The video did not specify the location of the incident, but online commentators have speculated it was at an alley next to the Marine Police Aberdeen Base on Shum Wan Road.
The FEHD said it was “highly concerned” about the incident and was conducting an investigation. It also said that the illegal behaviour was “very serious,” and it will consider issuing a penalty notice against the service contractor and requesting that the worker be replaced.
The video posted on Facebook received more than 10,000 shares within a day, with commentators making jokes about Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s recent comments on land reclamation, and others noting systemic problems of the FEHD’s reliance on private companies who bid for waste disposal contracts.
Any person who litters the waters of Hong Kong without lawful authority is liable to a fine of HK$10,000 and 6 months’ imprisonment, per the Summary Offences Ordinance.
