ENG-2019 — Page 295

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The Environment

average 36 per cent drop on the 2.39 million tonnes in 2005, before the launch of a Construction Waste Charging Scheme in 2006.

Waste Reduction

In line with the Hong Kong Blueprint for Sustainable Use of Resources 2013-22, the government implements policies and legislation to drive behavioural changes to reduce waste at source, undertake targeted citywide waste reduction campaigns to raise awareness and encourage community participation, and enhance waste-related infrastructure.

Positioned at the centre of Hong Kong's overall waste reduction strategy, municipal solid waste charging will provide the necessary financial incentives to drive behavioural and cultural changes, and to encourage the public to proactively practise waste reduction at source and clean recycling, and thereby reduce overall waste disposal. The Legislative Council was scrutinising the bill in 2019.

In the 2019-20 financial year, the government began providing an additional $300 million to $400 million to better support the work on waste reduction and recycling. The funding will be granted annually and will increase to no less than between $800 million and $1 billion from the financial year when municipal solid waste charging is to be implemented. It would be commensurate with the estimated gross revenue to be generated from municipal solid waste charging in the initial period so as to achieve the effect of allocating a dedicated fund for dedicated use.

The Food Waste and Yard Waste Plan for Hong Kong 2014-22 maps out a comprehensive strategy, targets, policies and action plans to manage food waste and yard waste. The government has four strategies to reduce the disposal of food waste in landfills by 40 per cent by 2022: reduction at source, reuse and donation, recyclable collection, and waste-to-energy conversion.

The Programme on Source Separation of Waste covers over 80 per cent of the Hong Kong population. Residents can contribute recyclable items to waste separation facilities close to their homes and workplaces.

Various producer responsibility schemes are in place, such as the Plastic Shopping Bag Charging Scheme and the schemes on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and glass beverage containers, to promote waste reduction at source and create a circular economy. The government is preparing to introduce a scheme on plastic beverage containers, at the same time encouraging less use of plastic packaging in collaboration with the retail trade. In 2019, the treatment and recycling facility WEEE PARK processed nearly 24,000 tonnes of waste.

Waste Recycling

The department supports the recycling trade and educates the public to reduce waste at source and carry out proper source separation of waste and clean recycling to avoid contamination of recyclables, so as to improve the quality of the recyclables collected and to streamline the subsequent treatment process.

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