Environment Secretary Tse Chin-wan on Tuesday said law enforcement officers will be able to go into residential buildings to hunt down people who don't follow new rules on throwing away rubbish that come into effect in April.

Tse didn't elaborate on what tactics officers could use, but said there will be ways for them to catch people disposing of trash in anything other than the new designated bags households will have to purchase.

"The law has empowered officers to enter the residential buildings to enforce the law. While it may not be very easy, there are some ways to catch those not using designated bags," he said.

"All you can save is HK$1.1 or HK$1.7, but in case you are caught and if you are doing it everyday, sooner or later you’ll be caught, the penalty is HK$1,500 each time. [The penalty] will be sufficient for you to buy designated bags for two years or three years… It is not wise for you to take that risk."

Tse said property management companies would still need to deal with any rubbish thrown out in the wrong manner, which would land residents with higher fees.

Earlier in the day, Chief Executive John Lee said the government will take steps to ensure everyone understands the new rules on rubbish.

Tse said one move will be to give every primary school pupil a 15-litre version of the new bags, so they can take it home to tell their parents about the scheme.