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Press Release
SETW visits model estates in source separation of waste
The Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, today (February 10) called on the public to support the Lunar New End Recycling Campaign launched by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) when she visited model estates in source separation of domestic waste.
The campaign is to encourage housing estates to strengthen their waste recovery activities by collecting recyclable and reusable materials, such as waste paper, plastics, metals, books, old clothes, toys, computers, electrical and electronic appliances, and furniture for resale to recyclers or donation to charitable organisations.
To give more convenience to the public, the EPD will open 13 refuse transfer stations for the collection of recyclables from tomorrow to February 17 (Saturday). Details of the campaign are available at EPD's website at www.epd.gov.hk.
Also in today's visit, Dr Liao went to the Royal Peninsula to see how the trial scheme on Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) charging has been working.
The trial scheme, launched by EPD in November 2006 to examine the logistical arrangements for waste recovery and disposal in different housing settings for reference in the feasibility study of introducing a variable rate charging scheme, will end on February 15.
Useful information on the trial scheme will be collected through questionnaire survey in the coming weeks for analysis by the EPD.
The Royal Peninsula is one of the five selected housing estates which try out both "designated bags" for disposal of non-recyclable domestic waste as well as "food waste bags" to separate food waste from domestic waste.
Dr Liao met with the residents there to listen to their views and comments on the trial scheme, in particular the design of the designated bags and food waste bags.
She also visited to Cheung Wo Court in Kwun Tong where she saw how the estate modified their refuse rooms to accommodate floor-based source separation facilities.
She then proceeded to Sau Mau Ping Estate to see the progress achieved by the estate management on source separation and waste recycling.
"I am pleased to see the positive attitude and increasing response from the residents to separate domestic waste at source. Efforts of the residents and estate management in waste reduction and recovery are much appreciated," she said.
As of December 2006, a total of 490 housing estates with 670,000 households had enrolled in the territory-wide programme on source separation of domestic waste.
Each housing estate participating in the programme is expected to achieve a 50 per cent increase in recovered quantities after the first year of implementation.
Ends/Saturday, February 10, 2007
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