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Copyright © BEAM Society Limited. All rights reserved. Page 56
The Government has been encouraging the community to participate
in source separation of waste to minimise waste disposal and
promote resources recovery. To promote local glass recycling, the
Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has liaised with the
sectors concerned (e.g. hotels, catering and property management
sectors, etc.) and non-profit making organisations and provided
support to them in implementing various voluntary glass bottle
recycling programmes in specific trade and at local districts.
Small Electrical Appliance
Each year, Hong Kong households and corporations dispose of more
than 70,000 tonnes of computers, electrical and electronic equipment.
Some of these items are still in good working condition and could be
put to second-hand use. All of them contain components and
materials that could be recovered for reuse and recycling, such as
metals and plastics.
To reduce the quantity of waste computers and waste electrical and
electronic equipment disposed of at landfills, the Environmental
Protection Department launched a Territory-Wide Trial Recovery
Programme in January 2003. The programme has been well received
by the public and more than 40,000 waste computers and electrical
and electronic units are being recovered and processed each year.
Food Waste
There is approximately 3,584 tonnes food waste produced in Hong
Kong every day. One third originates from commercial and industry
(C&I) sector, and the remaining comes from households, representing
12% and 28% respectively of the municipal solid waste generated in
Hong Kong. In recent years, the amount of disposal food waste from
C&I sectors has been increasing, from 400 tonnes in 2002 to 1,056
tonnes in 2011
The disposal of food waste, an organic waste which decomposes
easily, to landfills is not sustainable as it leads to rapid depletion of
the limited landfill space and formation of greenhouse gases such as
methane imposing severe burden on our environment.
The EPD plans to develop the Organic Waste Treatment Facilities
(OWTF) in phase. The OWTF will adopt biological technologies
composting and anaerobic digestion to stabilise the organic waste
and turn it into compost and biogas for recovery. The first phase of
the OWTF will be constructed at Siu Ho Wan with a daily treatment
capacity of 200 tonnes of source separated organic waste.