ENG-2015 — Page 296

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The Environment

The EPD adopts a Quality Powered Mechanical Equipment system to promote the use of more environmentally friendly construction equipment and to facilitate the construction noise permit application process.

Noise from Industrial or Commercial Activities

Noise from industrial or commercial activities is controlled through the issuance of noise. abatement notices. The department serves abatement notices requiring the owners or occupants of premises causing excessive noise to reduce it within a given period.

Waste Management

Waste Statistics

Over the past decade, the municipal solid waste that is dumped at landfills has increased 9 per cent, while the mid-year population has grown 6 per cent. Over the past five years from 2011 to 2015, the annual disposal of municipal solid waste was within the range of 3.28 to 3.71 million tonnes and the daily per capita disposal rate was between 1.27kg and 1.39kg. Food waste accounted for around 37 per cent of municipal solid waste on average over the past five years.

The territory also produced substantial quantities of construction waste, with an annual quantity within the range of 1.22 to 1.53 million tonnes disposed of at landfills over the past five years, an average 44 per cent drop on the 2.39 million tonnes in 2005 before the launch of a Construction Waste Charging Scheme in 2006.

Waste Reduction

Waste reduction and recovery play an important role in waste management. The Source Separation of Waste Programme provides waste separation facilities where people live and work and covers more than 80 per cent of the population.

Waste-to-Resources Plan and Food Waste & Yard Waste Plan

The government's 'Hong Kong Blueprint for Sustainable Use of Resources 2013-2022' maps out the strategy, policies and plans for waste management to tackle the waste problem through: (i) policies and legislation to drive behavioural changes to reduce waste at source; (ii) targeted citywide waste reduction campaigns to arouse public awareness and encourage community participation; and (iii) enhancement of waste-related infrastructure. The aim is to reduce the per capita municipal solid waste disposal rate by 40 per cent to 0.8kg or less by 2022.

'A Food Waste & Yard Waste Plan for Hong Kong 2014-2022, unveiled in February 2014, maps out a comprehensive strategy, targets, policies and action plans to manage food waste and yard waste. The government aims to reduce food waste disposal to landfills by 40 per cent by 2022 and sets out four strategies to tackle food waste: reduction at source; reuse and donation; recyclable collection; and turning food waste into energy.

To further promote waste reduction and recycling and provide outlets for recyclables of low commercial value in the community, in 2011 the government launched a Community Recycling Network and, in collaboration with the District Councils, a programme to enhance community

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