ENG-1999 — Page 473

THE ENVIRONMENT

livestock waste control scheme began in 1987, a pollution load from livestock waste. equivalent to raw sewage from more than 1.6 million people ended up in Hong Kong's rivers and eventually the sea. Since 1988, the Waste Disposal Ordinance has banned livestock keeping in new towns and environmentally sensitive areas. Where they are allowed, livestock farms must have proper waste treatment systems.

Under the control scheme, livestock farmers who choose to continue in business could apply for a grant and a loan to help pay for pollution-control facilities. Since the start of the scheme in 1987, about $63 million has been paid out in capital grants. Farmers who chose to cease business could apply for an allowance, and about $882 million has been paid. Livestock waste pollution has been reduced by 97 per cent since the inception of the control scheme.

To help farmers dispose of their livestock waste properly, a door-to-door livestock waste collection service began in 1996. A monthly average of about 4 800 tonnes of livestock waste was collected in 1999.

Waste Management

Waste Reduction

In November 1998, the Government launched a 10-year Waste Reduction Framework Plan. This was a response to the rapid growth in the amount of waste being dumped in the landfills, leading to a significant reduction in their expected life span. Given the shortage of land in Hong Kong and the keen competition for any available space it will be difficult to find sites for any new landfills. The plan aims to reduce the amount of waste produced, to encourage waste recycling and re-use, to promote greater efficiency and economy in the management of waste, and to prolong the usable life of Hong Kong's landfills.

Local waste recovery continued to play an important role in waste management, resulting in the export of substantial quantities of recovered waste materials for recycling overseas. In all, more than 1.3 million tonnes of waste materials, including waste paper, metals and plastic were exported in 1999, which generated export earnings of about $2.7 billion. Local industry reprocessed more than 535 000 tonnes of recyclable materials including waste paper, metals, plastic and glass. The total recovery rate represents about 35 per cent of the total municipal solid waste.

Landfills

All municipal solid waste is deposited at three large modern strategic landfills in the New Territories. Specialist waste management contractors operate these landfills to high environmental standards.

The community disposed of about 18 000 tonnes of solid wastes every day. Of this, 7 400 tonnes were domestic waste, 1 800 tonnes were commercial and industrial waste and 7 900 tonnes came from construction activities. The municipal waste production amounts to 1.3 kilograms for each person in Hong Kong every day.

Rapid development in Hong Kong over the past decade has contributed to a dramatic increase in the amount of construction and demolition (C&D) material for disposal. Some 36 700 tonnes of C&D material were generated every day during 1999. Since much of the C&D material could be re-used, contractors are encouraged to segregate and sort it at source. Inert C&D material suitable for reclamation purposes

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