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The Environment
evenings and early mornings. The government will continue to explore practicable mitigation
measures.
Construction Noise
The department issues construction noise permits to control noise from general construction works between 7pm and 7am and at all times on public holidays. Strict criteria under these permits restrict the use of equipment and the conduct of noisy manual activities in built-up areas. Percussive piling is prohibited at night and on public holidays, and requires a permit during the day on non-public holidays. The use of noisy diesel, steam and pneumatic piling hammers is generally banned, while hand-held percussive breakers and air compressors used in construction must meet strict noise standards and be issued with noise emission labels. Apart from these legal controls, the department also promotes quiet construction equipment and techniques to the construction industry.
Noise from Industrial or Commercial Activities
The department serves noise abatement notices requiring the owners or occupants of premises causing excessive noise from industrial or commercial activities to tone down within a given period.
Waste Management
Waste Statistics'
Over the past decade, the municipal solid waste dumped at landfills has increased 19 per cent, while the mid-year population has grown 6 per cent. Between 2013 and 2017, municipal solid waste totalling 3.48 million to 3.92 million tonnes annually was disposed of, translating into a daily per capita disposal rate of between 1.33kg and 1.45kg. Food waste accounted for 36 per cent of municipal solid waste on average. About 60 per cent of 3.92 million tonnes dumped at landfills in 2017 was domestic waste, with the remainder being commercial and industrial
waste.
During the same five-year period, landfills took in 1.31 million to 1.62 million tonnes of overall construction waste annually, an average 38 per cent drop on the 2.39 million tonnes in 2005, before the launch of a Construction Waste Charging Scheme in 2006.
Waste Reduction
In line with the Hong Kong Blueprint for Sustainable Use of Resources 2013-22, the government is implementing policies and legislation to drive behavioural changes to reduce waste at source, undertake targeted citywide waste reduction campaigns to raise awareness and encourage community participation, and enhance waste-related infrastructure.
Positioned at the centre of Hong Kong's overall waste reduction strategy, municipal solid waste charging will provide the necessary financial incentives to drive behavioural and cultural changes, and to encourage the public to proactively practise waste reduction at source and
1 Waste statistics for 2018 will be published in the report, Monitoring of Solid Waste in Hong Kong: Waste Statistics for 2018,
to be released in 2019.
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