53
In
As regards increasing awareness, the Department produces a free annual guide on legislation and sources of technical help. It also provides information on environmental requirements for product standards in our major markets. accordance with the Immediate Action Plan, the Department has commissioned the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) to organise seminars for industrialists and the Centre for Environmental Technology to operate a hotline to answer queries from manufacturers, and to produce a directory of pollution control equipment and services. The hotline has been operational since October 1994; the directory will be published in March 1995, The HKPC has also been funded to undertake a programme of advisory visits to SMEs operating in the bleaching and dyeing, electroplating, and printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing industries. Later this year, the Industry Department will reinforce these efforts with an advertising campaign on television and radio, and in newspapers.
The Department is also ensuring that technical services are available to help manufacturers improve their environmental controls. To this end, the Hong Kong Laboratory Accreditation Scheme accredits local laboratories to offer internationally- recognised environmental testing services to manufacturers. The HKPC already provides a wide range of environmental services for manufacturers, including expert advice on air, noise and effluent pollution control, waste and energy management, and waste treatment. Many manufacturers take advantage of this; in 1993-94, the HKPC undertook 188 environmental assignments.
As part of the Immediate Action Plan, the Government is supporting the expansion of the HKPC's technical services. Manuals to help with the design of less polluting production processes for bleaching and dyeing, electroplating, and PCB manufacture will be published by the HKPC in May. The HKPC will visit 200 SMEs in these sectors during the first year to test effluent and advise them on how to comply with the requisite environmental standards; 25 such projects have already been completed.
On advice from the Industry and Technology Development Council, the Department is funding 11 projects intended to help industrialists to respond to increasing environmental awareness at home and overseas. These include projects on the treatment of waste, cleaner production techniques and technologies, noise control, and eco-labelling. The Council will be asked to advise on additional projects shortly.