The Hong Kong government yesterday announced a comprehensive waste management strategy to tackle the imminent waste problem facing Hong Kong.
In a press statement, Edward Yau, Hong Kong's Secretary for the Environment, stated: "The government has devised a concrete action plan which includes a number of initiatives to reduce waste at source, coupled with modern waste treatment facilities and extension of landfills, to tackle the imminent waste problem using a multi-pronged approach."
At present, about 13,300 tons of waste are reportedly disposed of at landfills every day, of which about 9,000 tons comprise non-recyclable municipal solid waste, 900 tons are sludge generated from the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme or other sewerage treatment processes, and about 3,200 tons are attributable to construction waste.
As part of the plan, the government's major tasks for reducing waste at the source include strengthening district recycling facilities and networks on various fronts, implementing the next stage of the Producer Responsibility Scheme, including stage two of the plastic shopping bag levy scheme and the PRS for waste electrical and electronic equipment, as well as launching a public consultation on MSW charging.
Yau said that by diverting waste to suitable facilities and after the commissioning of other waste management facilities — such as the sludge treatment facility and organic waste treatment facility — it was estimated that the lifespan of the Tseung Kwan O landfill could be extended to around 2020 under the amended proposal, thus allowing for a period of overlap with the planning of a new permanent construction waste transfer facility. The new proposals have apparently already minimized the area of extension of the landfill in order to address the concern of local residents.
