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21. 21 -
Reply:
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(b)
Mr President,
End
(a)
(b)
whether, in the interest of protecting the environment, it is Government's policy to ask the public to separate waste by different types prior to its collection; and
whether any measures have been put in place to facilitate the public to obtain information from the relevant Government Department regarding the disposal of certain poisonous substances and chemicals kept at home?
It is Government policy to encourage the public to separate recyclable materials from non-recyclable waste. The Government's overall objective of waste management is to reduce waste at source, to promote reuse and recycling and to ensure that what remains is disposed of in an environmentally cost-effective manner; separation of waste will facilitate this objective. To this end, the Environmental Protection Department has introduced a hotline service (Tel No. 2755 2750) to advise the public on the setting up of waste collection schemes to recover recyclable materials such as waste paper and aluminium cans. A pamphlet containing details on how to organise a waste paper separation and collection scheme in residential buildings and office premises has also been printed for distribution to the public.
To further promote waste reduction, a consultancy study commissioned by the Environmental Protection Department has recently recommended a number of waste reduction initiatives, including separate collection schemes for recycleable materials. We will consult interested parties on these recommendations next month to enable us to formulate a waste reduction plan for Hong Kong for further consultation with the public later in the year.
Most poisonous substances and chemicals kept at home are used for household cleaning, insect and rodent control or used in consumable products such as paints and batteries. Empty containers of these chemicals and used batteries usually contain only a small quantity of residue and can be disposed of together with other household waste. In the rare circumstances where the public needs assistance for the disposal of a larger quantity of surplus or expired products containing poisonous substances or chemicals, they can contact the Environmental Protection Department for advice through its telephone enquiry service (Tel No. 2755 5462).