ENG-2017 — Page 307

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The Environment

average of 24 million tonnes recovered. This annual average was 60 per cent higher than the 15 million tonnes recovered between 2007 and 2011.

EcoPark

More than 90 per cent of recyclable municipal solid waste is exported for recycling every year, with plastics, paper and metals contributing about 95 per cent of the recovered waste. The 20-hectare EcoPark in Tuen Mun promotes development of the recycling industry by providing long-term land at affordable costs so as to encourage investment in advanced technologies and value-added recycling processes.

As at December, the EcoPark had leased 11 lots to private recyclers to recycle cooking oil, metals, wood, electrical and electronic equipment, plastics, batteries, construction materials, glass, rubber tyres and food waste.

Recycling Fund

A $1 billion Recycling Fund, launched in 2015, is open for applications for five years to support projects that raise the quantity and quality of recyclables recovered, as well as projects that promote markets for recycled products and enhance the recycling industry's capability and capacity. As at end-December, 115 projects were either in progress or ready to start, involving total funding of about $90 million. In view of the Mainland's expected tightening of requirements in early 2018 on the imports of recyclables, new measures were launched under the fund to help Hong Kong recyclers process recyclables, particularly paper and plastics, to tackle the challenges ahead.

Waste Treatment and Disposal

Refuse Transfer Stations

Municipal solid waste is collected and delivered to refuse transfer stations by refuse collection vehicles, packed into containers and then taken to landfills in bulk by sea or land. A network of 13 transfer facilities handled 3 million tonnes of such waste in 2016, delivering about 85 per cent of domestic waste to landfills.

Landfills

With the South East New Territories Landfill accepting only construction waste since 6 January 2016, all municipal solid waste is disposed of at the other two large strategic landfills in the New Territories. All three landfills are operated to high environmental standards. To maintain an uninterrupted waste disposal service to the public, all three landfills need to be extended to serve as the final repositories for a considerable amount of residual solid waste.

In 2016, the landfills handled 3.79 million tonnes of municipal solid waste. About 62 per cent was domestic waste and the remainder was commercial and industrial waste. On average, each person disposed of 1.41kg of municipal solid waste daily. With the ongoing extension of two of the three landfills, the landfill space is estimated to be able to cope with the territory's waste disposal needs up to the late 2020s. A detailed study is under way on how to extend the serviceable life of the remaining landfill space to the mid-2030s.

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