SUNDAY, APRIL 3, 1983
HONG KONG'S MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH TO WASTE DISPOSAL
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THE GOVERNMENT IS EXPANDING ITS REFUSE DISPOSAL FACILITIES TO COPE WITH THE GROWING QUANTITIES OF WASTE BEING PRODUCED DAILY IN HONG KONG.
POTENTIAL SITES FOR NEW LONG-TERM WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITIES ARE BEING EXAMINED, ACCORDING TO MR RICHARD HOARE, THE PRINCIPAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OFFICER (WASTE MANAGEMENT).
THE NEED FOR SPECIAL WASTE DISPOSAL PLANTS IS ALSO BEING CONSIDERED TO DEAL WITH TOXIC WASTE AND ACIDIC AND ALKALINE WASTE WHICH ARE BEING PRODUCED IN INCREASING QUANTITIES BECAUSE OF HONG KONG'S RAPID INDUSTRIAL ISATION.
MUNICIPAL AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE GENERATED EACH DAY TOTAL SOME 6 500 TONNES, OR 1.25 KILOGRAMMES PER HEAD OF POPULATION. THE VOLUME OF REFUSE IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO 10 000 TONNES A DAY BY THE END OF THE DECADE, MUCH OF WHICH WILL ARISE FROM INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITIES.
WHILE THE PRESENT PER CAPITA FIGURE IS LOWER THAN IN SUCH INDUSTRIALISED COUNTRIES AS JAPAN, THE UNITED STATES AND MOST OF EUROPE, COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL OF HONG KONG'S REFUSE DAY AFTER DAY IS AN IMMENSE TASK WHICH COSTS THE GOVERNMENT $500 MILLION A YEAR. WITH THE INCREASING DIFFICULTY IN FINDING ACCEPTABLE SITES CLOSE TO THE URBAN AREAS AND WITH THE HIGH STANDARDS OF DISPOSAL NOW EXPECTED BY THE COMMUNITY, THESE COSTS ARE LIKELY TO INCREASE SUBSTANTIALLY OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, MR HOARE SAID.
THE GOVERNMENT HAS COMMISSIONED CONSULTANTS TO DEVELOP A SOPHISTICATED COMPUTER-BASED WASTE DISPOSAL PLANNING MODEL WHICH SHOULD BE READY IN AUGUST THIS YEAR, MR HOARE DISCLOSED.
+THE MODEL WILL ASSIST US IN ENSURING THAT AS THE PROBLEMS OF WASTE MANAGEMENT IN HONG KONG BECOME MORE AND MORE COMPLEX, THE SERVICE REMAINS EFFICIENT AND COST EFFECTIVE, HE EXPLAINED.
AT THE SAME TIME, A STUDY HAS JUST BEEN COMPLETED ON THE PRESENT CONTRIBUTION BEING MADE BY THE RECYCLING OF WASTE. A REPORT ON THE RESEARCH OUTLINING THE EXISTING RECYCLING METHODS AND EXPLORING NEW APPROACHES WILL BE COMPLETED THIS MONTH, MR HOARE SAID.
HE ALSO COMMENDED THE PRIVATE SECTOR FOR ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THE RECYCLING OF WASTE.
+UNLIKE OTHER COUNTRIES WHERE RECYCLING INVOLVES LARGE CAPITAL-INTENSIVE PLANTS AND HEAVY GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY, IN HONG KONG THE OPERATIONS, THOUGH LABOUR-INTENSIVE, ARE HIGHLY COST EFFECTIVE. EXPORT OF RECYCLED WASTE PRODUCTS EARNS SOME $660 MILLION EACH YEAR, HE POINTED OUT.
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