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a lot of people and the private contractors of the mutual-aid committees or the owners-incorporated, they have their own way of collection and by the time it leaves the block of the multi-storey buildings, all kinds of refuse have already been mixed up and the sorting out will have to be done by the contractors, collectors and also some amount of sorting out at our own RCPs.
MR. JASON K. Y. YUEN (in English): Mr. Chairman, it is a well-known fact that plastic bags are not biologically decomposable. In that case, if every year we are using 700,000 plastic bags, in no time, the accumulated number will be very great. So I think the Council should be informed whether there should be any measure to take care of it because otherwise eventually all the landfill areas will be left full of plastic bags because all the other refuse will be decomposed by nature except plastic bags. Then in that case the whole Hong Kong will be full of plastic bags eventually.
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English): Comparatively speaking, the amount of plastic bags as a percentage of the total refuse collection in the landfills would be very small. Especially at the landfill site, it is being compacted and bulldozed left and right and chopped up to a quite large extent. Of course, it is certain that the plastic bags will remain because it is not degradable whether it is biologically or photosensitively. This is a fact that we cannot avoid when we use plastic bags. Maybe in a hundred years later, it would be served as an antique. A hundred years ago, Hong Kong used plastic bags and they will put our plastic bags into the museum.
CHAIRMAN (in English): Maybe I can make a comment on this. I read in a magazine recently. ICI has now made a breakthrough and they have invented a new plastic material which they say will decompose in compost heaps or controlled tips under the biochemical action in a controlled tip, so possibly the department and yourself, Dr. LEUNG, can follow that one up.
MR. RONNIE M. C. WONG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, the main purpose of asking this question is that I hope the Council can take a lead in environmental protection, especially with regard to the use of plastic bags. I got the reply that the use of plastic bags is likely to increase, so it is counterproductive. I really do hope that the Committee headed by Dr. LEUNG can seriously consider my suggestion that we should freeze the use of plastic bags.
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English): In actual fact, Councillor, you mentioned ICI that we are also aware of such an existence, but it is not proved one hundred percent reliable and the cost is quite prohibitive, but we are always on the alert to look for a better alternative. The solution will be biodegradable plastic bags that will solve the problem.
DR. SAMUEL P. W. WONG (in English): I would like to ask what did we use before plastic bags were invented?
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
25
CHAIRMAN (in English): Dr. LEUNG, can you answer that question which has got nothing to do with the original question?
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English): It was not in such a systematic and tidy manner as in the case of plastic bags. I think they just used big baskets to hold the refuse before dumping onto our refuse collection vehicles. There is no tidy manner, and sometimes they used big paper bags, and sometimes they did not use any bags at all in the older days.
3. MR. B. A. BERNACCHI asked the following question (in English): The problem of illegal hawking is again on the increase in Chai Wan, particularly around the Temporary Market and at the flyover leading to the MTR. What is the Council going to do about it?
MR. LAM CHAK-PIU, VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS AND STREETS TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese): This question concerns the problem of illegal hawking in the Chai Wan area, particularly in the vicinity of the Chai Wan Temporary Market and on the flyover leading to the MTR station.
Both locations are hawker black spots in Chai Wan. About 150 hawkers trade outside the Temporary Market, while another 20 trade on the footbridge each day. There is no indication that the situation has worsened recently, but it must be admitted that it is difficult to keep the area hawker-free because of limited resources.
For the temporary market area, static patrols are carried out by GDT staff daily in the morning and 2-3 times a week in the afternoon, subject to availability of resources. These patrols are supplemented by regular raiding operations, which are carried out in the morning before the static patrols and in the afternoon when static patrols are not performed. With regard to the footbridge, regular raiding operations are conducted in the morning, while static patrols are carried out in the afternoon. In the past three months, more than 200 arrests and seizures were effected at these two locations.
The Department has made further efforts to improve the situation. With effect from 1 May 1990, additional GDT squads have been sent to reinforce the district staff, and control has since been intensified.
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI (in English): Mr. Chairman, I have in all four supplementary questions. The first one is: the Vice-Chairman of the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee said that there were static patrols carried out in the morning. How many and all at the same time or different times?
MR. LAM CHAK-PIU (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, I believe this is the same practice for all districts. It starts at 8 a.m. and then round about 8 o'clock before and after they have static patrols in black spots and some members of staff have a communication radio system for communication among themselves.
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
a lot of people and the private contractors of the mutual-aid committees or the owners-incoporated, they have their own way of collection and by the time it leaves the block of the multi-storey buildings, all kinds of refuse have already been mixed up and the sorting out will have to be done by the contractors, collectors and also some amount of sorting out at our own RCPs.
MR. JASON K. Y. YUEN (in English): Mr. Chairman, it is a well known fact that plastic bags are not biologically decomposeable. In that case, if every year we are using 700 000 plastic bags, in no time, the accumulated number will be very great. So I think the Council should be informed whether there should be any measure to take care of it because otherwise eventually all the landfills areas will be left full of plastic bags because all the other refuse will be decomposed by nature except plastic bags. Then in that case the whole Hong Kong will be full of plastic bags eventually.
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English): Comparatively speaking, the amount of plastic bags as percentage of the total refuse collection in the landfills would be very small. Especially at the landfill site, it is being compacted and bulldozed in the brush's left and right and chopped up to a quite large extent. Of course, it is certain that the plastic bags will remain because it is not degradeable whether it is biologically or photosensitively. This is a fact that we cannot avoid when we use plastic bags. May be in hundred years later, it would be served as an antique. Hundred years ago, Hong Kong used plastic bags and they will put our plastic bags into the museum.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-May be I can make a comment on this. I read in a magazine recently. ICI has now made a breakthrough and they have invented a new plastic material which they say will decompose in compost heaps or controlled tips under the biochemical action in a controlled tip, so possibly the department and yourself, Dr. LEUNG can follow that one up.
MR. RONNIE M. C. WONG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, the main purpose of asking this question is that I hope the Council can take a lead in environmental protection especially with regard to the use of plastic bags. I got the reply that the use of plastic bags is likely to increase so it is counter productive. I really do hope that the Committee headed by Dr. LEUNG can seriously consider my suggestion that we should freeze the use of plastic bags.
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English):-In actual fact, CUC, you mentioned ICI that we are also aware of such an existence but it is not proved one hundred percent reliable and the cost is quite prohibitive but we are always on the alert to look for a better alternative. The solution will be biodegradeable plastic bags that will solve the problem.
DR. SAMUEL P. W. WONG (in English):—I would like to ask what did we use before plastic bags were invented?
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 15 of 95
25
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Dr. LEUNG, can you answer that question which has got nothing to do with the original question?
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English):—It was not in such a systematic and tidy manner as in the case of plastic bags. I think they just used big baskets to hold the refuse before dumping onto our refuse collection vehicles. There is no tidy manner, and sometimes they used big paper bags, and sometimes they did not use any bags at all in the older days.
3. MR. B. A. BERNACCHI asked the following question (in English):—The problem of illegal hawking is again on the increase in Chai Wan, particularly around the Temporary Market and at the flyover leading to the MTR. What is the Council going to do about it?
MR. LAM CHAK-PIU, VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS AND STREETS TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):—This question concerns the problem of illegal hawking in the Chai Wan area, particularly in the vicinity of the Chai Wan Temporary Market and on the flyover leading to the MTR station.
Both locations are hawker black spots in Chai Wan. About 150 hawkers trade outside the Temporary Market, while another 20 trade on the footbridge each day. There is no indication that the situation has worsened recently, but it must be admitted that it is difficult to keep the area hawker-free because of limited resources.
For the temporary market area, static patrols are carried out by GDT staff daily in the morning and 2-3 times a week in the afternoon subject to availability of resources. These patrols are supplemented by regular raiding operations, which are carried out in the morning before the static patrols and in the afternoon when static patrols are not performed. With regard to the footbridge, regular raiding operations are conducted in the morning, while static patrols are carried out in the afternoon. In the past three months, more than 200 arrests and seizures were effected at these two locations.
The Department has made further efforts to improve the situation. With effect from 1 May 1990, additional GDT squads have been sent to reinforce the district staff, and control has since been intensified.
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I have in all four supplementary questions. The first one is: the Vice-Chairman of the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee said that there were static patrols carried out in the morning. How many and all at the same time or different times?
MR. LAM CHAK-PIU (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, I believe this is the same practice for all districts. It starts at 8 a.m. and then round about 8 o'clock before and after they have static patrols in black spots and some members of staff have communication radio system for communication among themselves.
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