In order to control and curb land filling and fly-tipping activities in Hong Kong, the Environmental Compliance Division of the Environmental Protection Department strengthened the efforts in the following key areas:
1) Enforcement Action
Each of the four Regional Offices of the Environmental Compliance Division has maintained a list of land filling sites and fly-tipping black-spots within its own area. Enforcement teams would conduct regular patrol and ambush operations at these locations. Any culprit apprehended would be prosecuted under the Waste Disposal Ordinance (Waste), Cap 354.
2) Intelligence and Information Gathering
We regularly update the list of land filling sites and fly-tipping black-spots through exchange of information with various government departments, such as the District Office, District Lands Office, Police, Food & Environmental Hygiene Department, Housing Department etc. Reports and complaints from the public are also essential sources of information for the enforcement efforts.
3) Publicity and Education
The enforcement efforts taken by EPD, no matter how exhaustive, would still be insufficient to cover every potential land filling and fly-tipping location in Hong Kong. As a result, EPD would seek assistance from the public via a series of publicity and education campaigns to, firstly not to partake in any land filling and fly-tipping acts; and secondly report any land filling and fly-tipping acts to the authority. EPD has published a number of leaflets and posters to convey these messages to the public.
4) Partnership Programmes
In addition to the publicity campaigns, the Environmental Compliance Division has also launched a Property Management Partnership Programme and a Construction Industry Partnership Programme with the property management sector and the construction industry respectively. A major part of these partnership programmes is on the management of construction waste generated at the respective housing estates and construction sites / projects.
5) Demolition and Renovation Waste
EPD has taken a pro-active role in visiting new housing developments in reminding the management companies the potential construction waste disposal problems arising from renovation works. The management companies are encouraged to implement various administrative measures to control and manage the storage and disposal of demolition/renovation waste, such as registration/deposit system of renovation contractors, provision of waste skips on site for temporary storage of waste, trip-ticket system for disposal of renovation waste etc.
6) Other Preventive Measures Against Land filling and Fly-tipping of Construction Waste
In cooperation with other government departments, EPD would also implement other preventive measures against land filling and fly-tipping of construction waste at known black-spots and problem areas, by erecting fencing, warning signs and barricades.
