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The Waste Disposal Ordinance provides for controls on the management and disposal of waste.
Chemical Waste
Producers of chemical waste have to be registered with the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), while waste collectors and disposal facilities have to be licensed. The movement of waste from its generation to its final disposal point is monitored by a trip ticket system, and 37 600 trip tickets were used in 2018.
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Livestock Waste
Under the Waste Disposal (Amendment) Ordinance effective on 1 July 1994, Livestock Waste Prohibition Areas were extended, and Restriction Areas were introduced. No new livestock farms are allowed in Restriction Areas, but existing livestock keeping activities can continue to operate. Since 1 July 1999, all treated livestock waste discharges have been required to meet a 50:50 standard [Biochemical Oxygen Demand (mg/L) : Suspended Solids (mg/L)]. About $946 million in financial aid has been paid to help affected farmers to date. About 90% of livestock waste is now disposed of in an environmentally acceptable manner as farmers have adopted appropriate livestock waste treatment and management measures.
Since the launching of two Voluntary Surrender Schemes in 2005 and 2006, the number of livestock farms and the quantity of livestock waste arising have been reduced. In addition, the buyout scheme for live poultry trade had been launched in 2008. This led to further reduction in the quantity of livestock farms and waste produced.
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Clinical Waste
The Waste Disposal (Clinical Waste)(General) Regulation became effective on 1st August 2011. All Clinical Waste Producers are required to safely handle clinical waste and arrange for its proper disposal. Each Clinical Waste Producer is assigned a Premises code (P-code) to identify the premises where clinical waste is generated. As at the end of 2018, there were about 10,000 operating clinical waste producers with P-codes issued by EPD. Around 658 P-code holders were Major Clinical Waste Producers which comprise public and private hospitals, government clinics and medical laboratories managed by government. The remaining P-codes holders were Small Clinical Waste Producers which includes private medical and dental clinics/practices, private dental, medical, veterinary or pathological laboratories, private Chinese medicine clinics/practices, residential care homes for the elderly, nursing homes, private veterinary clinics/practices, medical research facilities, universities and other relevant organizations.
In accordance with the Waste Disposal Ordinance, the collection and removal of clinical waste must be operated under a clinical waste collection licence issued by EPD. As at end of 2018, 8 licensed operators provide clinical waste collection service in Hong Kong. Each consignment of clinical waste is tracked with a trip ticket. In 2018, around 74,554 clinical waste consignments totaling around 2,600 tonnes were delivered to the Chemical Waste Treatment Centre (CWTC) for disposal. Due to maintenance of the incinerator at CWTC, about 237 tonnes of clinical waste were diverted to WENT Landfill for disposal.
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