Speaking at the Legco meeting this morning, environment minister Tse Chin-wan said authorities are preparing to roll out a registration system for manufacturers in the first quarter of next year in order to kick off the charging scheme in the second quarter.

He said suppliers of the glass beverage containers will be required to register themselves with the Environmental Protection Department as registered suppliers and pay the container recycling levy for the bottles they distribute or consume in Hong Kong.

Exemptions will be provided for the registered suppliers who have in place a recovery and reuse arrangement for the glass containers of their beverage products, he added, with the suppliers required to pay an application fee of HK$9,250.

Lawmakers have raised concerns that the levy is relatively low, while some noted that glass containers for sauces and cosmetics were not included in the scheme.

Separately, Liberal Party lawmaker Peter Shiu Ka-fai believed the scheme would not contribute much to the green cause, adding that the charge imposed on the manufacturers would eventually be paid by public consumers.

In response, Tse said authorities will monitor the implementation of the scheme closely and will review its effectiveness in three years.