XN000022-1990-09-29 — Page 4

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1990

ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN WASTE PAPER RECYCLING PROGRAMME

THE INTRODUCTION OF THE WASTE PAPER RECYCLING PROGRAMME IN GOVERNMENT OFFICES HAS RECEIVED ENCOURAGING RESPONSE WITH A TOTAL OF 28 DEPARTMENTS HAVING FORMULATED PLANS TO IMPLEMENT WASTE PAPER SEPARATION FOR RECYCLING.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS BRANCH OF THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT SAID TODAY (SATURDAY): "ONE OF THE OBJECTIVES OF THE WASTE PAPER RECYCLING PROGRAMME IS TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS AN ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSE BY SAVING LANDFILL SPACES, CONSERVING NATURAL RESOURCES AND REDUCING POLLUTION.

"WE ALSO AIM AT CULTIVATING AN ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AMONG OFFICE WORKERS WHO CONSUME LARGE AMOUNTS OF PAPER DAILY," HE ADDED.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID PRODUCING RECYCLING PAPER CREATED 74 PER CENT LESS AIR POLLUTION AND 35 PER CENT LESS WATER POLLUTION THAN PRODUCING PAPER FROM VIRGIN FIBRES.

"IT TAKES 17 TREES AND 1,500 LITRES OF OIL ΤΟ PRODUCE ONE TONNE OF PAPER AND THE GOVERNMENT CONSUMES 8,000 TONNES OF PAPER PER YEAR.

"THE INTRODUCTION OF A PILOT SCHEME IN MURRAY BUILDING (WHERE MANY OF THE BRANCH'S OFFICES ARE LOCATED) INDICATED THAT ABOUT

150 KILOGRAMS OF PAPER WERE THROWN AWAY EVERY DAY, HE SAID.

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"THE AMOUNT CONSTITUTES ABOUT 30 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL TRASH IN WEIGHT. THIS ALSO REPRESENTS THE FELLING OF 700 TREES A YEAR, HE ADDED.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN AN INITIAL STEP ΤΟ INTRODUCE AN OFFICE PAPER RECYCLING PILOT SCHEME IN MURRAY BUILDING, THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT AT SOUTHORN CENTRE AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BUILDING ON JUNE 1.

PAPER FROM STAFF WORKING

"THE SCHEME HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL AND SEPARATING OTHER TRASH HAS BECOME AN ESTABLISHED PRACTICE OF THE IN THOSE OFFICES," THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

"IN MURRAY BUILDING ALONE, AN AVERAGE OF 800 WASTE PAPER IS BEING COLLECTED WEEKLY FOR RECYCLING.'

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KILOGRAMS OF

SCHEME. THE CIRCULATED A PROGRAMME IN

BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE GATHERED FROM THE TRIAL PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS BRANCH COMPILED AND PRACTICAL GUIDELINE ON HOW ΤΟ START WASTE RECYCLING OFFICE BUILDING TO ALL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS FOR THEIR REFERENCE.

THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN ENCOURAGING AND MANY DEPARTMENTS HAVE STARTED IMPLEMENTING THE SCHEME. THE OTHERS ARE ALSO CONSIDERING THE FRASIBILITY OF SUCH A PROGRAMME.

SOME OFFICES, PARTICULARLY THOSE SUB-OFFICES ACCOMMODATED IN RENTED JOINT-USER BUILDINGS, BECAUSE THEY ARE RELATIVELY SMALL OR FOR OTHER TECHNICAL REASONS, ARE HOWEVER UNABLE TO PURSUE SUCH A PROGRAMME AT THIS STAGE.

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