THE ENVIRONMENT
Starting in 1998 beach water quality gradings for beaches were made available weekly during that bathing season through the mass media and the EPD's web site at http://ww.info.gov.hklepdl.
Livestock Waste Pollution
Indiscriminate disposal of waste from the livestock industry used to be one of the main causes of pollution in streams and rivers in the New Territories. Before the livestock waste control scheme began in 1987, a pollution load from livestock waste equivalent to raw sewage from more than 1.6 million people ended up in Hong Kong's rivers and eventually the sea. Since 1988, the Waste Disposal Ordinance has banned livestock-keeping in new towns and environmentally sensitive areas. Where they are allowed, livestock farms must have proper waste treatment systems.
Under the control scheme, livestock farmers who choose to continue in business could apply for a grant and a loan to help pay for pollution-control facilities. Since the start of the scheme in 1987, about $63 million has been paid out in capital grants. Farmers who chose to cease business could apply for an allowance, and about $883 million has been paid. Livestock waste pollution has been reduced by 97 per cent since the inception of the control scheme.
To help farmers dispose of their livestock waste properly, a door-to-door livestock waste collection service began in 1996. A monthly average of about 5 000 tonnes of livestock waste was collected in 2000.
Waste Management
Waste Reduction
In November 1998, the Government launched a 10-year Waste Reduction Framework Plan. This was a response to the rapid growth in the amount of waste being dumped in the landfills, leading to a significant reduction in their expected life span. Given the shortage of land in Hong Kong and the keen competition for any available space it will be difficult to find sites for any new landfills. The plan aims to reduce the amount of waste produced, to encourage waste recycling and re-use, to promote greater efficiency and economy in the management of waste, and to prolong the usable life of Hong Kong's landfills.
Waste recovery continued to play an important role in waste management, resulting in the export of substantial quantities of recovered waste materials for recycling overseas. In all, more than 1.5 million tonnes of waste materials, including waste paper, metals and plastic were exported in 2000, which generated export earnings of about $2.2 billion. Local industry reprocessed about 600 000 tonnes of recyclable materials including waste paper, metals, plastic and glass. The total recovery rate represents about 38 per cent of the total municipal solid waste.
Landfills
All municipal solid waste is deposited at three large modern strategic landfills in the New Territories. Specialist waste management contractors operate these landfills to high environmental standards.
The community disposed of about 17 900 tonnes of solid wastes every day. Of this, 7 500 tonnes were domestic waste, 1 800 tonnes were commercial and industrial waste
289
Page 345Page 346