The Environment | 301
Waste reduction and recovery has always played an important role in waste management, resulting in the export of substantial quantities of recovered waste materials for re-manufacturing outside Hong Kong. In all, about 2.4 million tonnes of waste materials including paper, metals and plastic were exported in 2005, generating export earnings of about $4.5 billion.
In January 2005, the Government introduced a territory-wide waste recovery programme to facilitate waste separation at household level. To encourage more housing estates and residential buildings to participate in the programme, the Environment and Conservation Fund has allocated $5 million towards the provision of waste separation facilities for buildings. The recovery programme aims to cover 80 per cent of the population by 2010. The Government is also promoting local recycling, with the development of a 20-hectare EcoPark in Tuen Mun Area 38 for exclusive use by the recycling and environmental industry. Phase I of the two-phase project, with an area of about 8 hectares, will be commissioned towards the end of 2006 and Phase II in 2009.
The main thrust of the strategy is to implement the polluter pays principle through solid waste disposal charges and producer responsibility schemes. The Government proposes to introduce schemes that hold manufacturers, importers, retailers and consumers responsible for what they produce and consume. The Government aims to introduce the Product Eco-responsibility Bill into the Legislative Council in 2006 to provide a legal framework for such schemes. Drawing on the experience of the construction waste charging scheme which was launched in December 2005, the Government plans to introduce legislation on municipal solid waste charging by 2007 as a direct economic incentive to avoid and reduce waste.
Landfills
All municipal solid waste is disposed of at three large modern landfills in the New Territories. Specialist waste management contractors operate these landfills to high environmental standards.
The community disposed of about 9 380 tonnes of municipal solid waste every day in 2005. Of this, 6 830 tonnes was domestic waste and 2 550 tonnes was commercial and industrial waste. On average, each person in Hong Kong disposed of about 1.35 kilograms of municipal solid waste daily.
In 2005, it was estimated that the three landfills would be full in six to 10 years and the Government initiated feasibility and environmental impact assessment studies on possible landfill extension schemes to ensure the continuity of final disposal outlets for wastes that cannot be recycled or further treated.
Hong Kong has 13 old landfills. For safety and environmental reasons, restoration measures have been taken at these landfills, and restoration of 12 of them has been completed. The last landfill, at Pillar Point Valley, will be restored by mid-2006. After full restoration, the sites will be used primarily for community and recreational activities.