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Housing estates invited to apply for fund for waste separation
Incorporated owners' committees, owners' committees and residents' organisations of private housing estates/buildings are invited to apply for funding support from the Environment and Conservation Fund (ECF) to join the Programme on Source Separation of Domestic Waste, a spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said today (July 31).
The Programme aims to enhance the separation of waste at source by providing residents with waste separation facilities on each floor of the buildings and also broadens the types of recyclables to be recovered.
So far, more than 150 housing estates/buildings have signed up to join the Programme which was rolled out in the territory in January this year, following a successful trial in 13 housing estates in the Eastern District last year.
Under the Programme, each participating estate/building can select the most suitable location and mode of waste separation to meet its particular physical settings and other characteristics.
A limit of 25 per cent of the total expenditure spent for the approved waste separation facilities on each floor will be reimbursed by the ECF, subject to a maximum of $150,000 per estate.
To enlist more housing estates to join the Programme, the ECF Committee has allocated a sum of $5 million for this purpose.
The ECF is set up to provide funding support for educational, research, technology demonstration and other projects and activities in relation to environmental and conservation matters, as well as community waste recovery projects.
"For housing estates buildings participating in the Programme, the aim is to achieve a 50 per cent increase in recovery quantity in the first year of implementation," the spokesman said.
The overall domestic waste recovery rate was targeted to increase from the present 14 per cent to 20 per cent by 2007, he added.
Application forms, a guide to application and details of the Programme are now available at EPD's website. Enquiries can also be made at 2872 1724.
Completed forms should be returned to EPD from tomorrow (August 1) onwards. All applications will be processed on a first-come first-served basis.
Ends/Sunday, July 31, 2005
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