Introduction
Purposes of the Partnership Programme
For years, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has been encouraging business operators to adopt clean and environmentally friendly technologies and to handle wastes properly so as to prevent pollution. EPD has from time to time organized seminars, issued guidelines and leaflets to spread the message of environmental protection.
EPD has since year 2000 formed partnership with selected trades including Vehicle Repair Workshops, Restaurants, Construction and Property Management. For the vehicle repair workshops, EPD collaborated with the Hong Kong Vehicle Repair Merchants Association (HKVRMA) and the Environmental Vehicle Repairers Association (EVRA) in implementing a partnership programme. The objectives of the programme are to encourage trade practitioners to participate in environmental protection activities and develop a closer relationship between the trade and EPD; and to provide generic advice to the trade on pollution abatement measures so as to reduce pollution and help improve the environment.
Contents of the Partnership Programme
EPD collaborates with HKVRMA and EVRA in implementing the "Collaboration Scheme with Vehicle Repair Workshops" to improve environmental compliance. Under the Collaboration Scheme, HKVRMA and EVRA nominate their enthusiastic members to serve as environmental ambassadors. The ambassadors, being trade practitioners, help spread environmental protection messages among their peers and encourage them to improve environmental pollution problems to meet statutory requirements.
To promote awareness of environmental protection, EPD publishes a series of promotion materials (e.g. guidelines, promotion leaflets, posters and chemical waste label) and distributes them to the practitioners of the vehicle repair trade for their reference and use.
In addition, EPD organizes seminars and workshops for practitioners in the vehicle repair trade. The seminars and workshops typically cover requirements of environmental protection legislation, pollution control and abatement measures and technologies such as activated carbon adsorption systems to reduce air pollution, environmental-friendly paint spraying technologies and the use of water-based paints in paint spraying.
To provide an additional platform to disseminate relevant information to the VRW trade practitioners as well as to other interested parties, this Green Garage website was developed and launched in January 2005. Updated environmental information can be browsed through the internet.
