To: Editor of South China Morning Post

I refer to the letter by Sky Mok (“Recycling on a large scale not feasible in city”) published on 28 September 2021.

The fact is that sizeable recycling operations are being carried out locally in Hong Kong by both the Government and the recycling industry.

The Government has been putting in substantial resources to develop recycling facilities in Hong Kong. For example, a treatment and recycling facility for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), the WEEE‧PARK, commenced operation in March 2018, which has collected and processed more than 70 000 tonnes regulated WEEE so far. A facility for turning organic waste into energy, the O‧PARK 1, was commissioned in July 2018, which can handle 200 tonnes of source-separated food waste per day and has since treated more than 100 000 tonnes of food waste. The O‧PARK 2, with daily treatment capacity of 300 tonnes, is expected to start operating by 2023. The Environmental Protection Department has also engaged contractors to provide central collection services for recyclables such as glass containers, plastic and paper.

The local recycling industry is our important partner in transforming waste into resources. The Government has recently allocated an additional $1 billion to extend the operation of the Recycling Fund to provide continuous support to the recycling industry amid changes in local and external market. We have also leased out land parcels in the EcoPark at affordable price, as well as other short-term tenancy sites designated exclusively for recycling use.

At community level, since October last year the Government has set up a new generation of community recycling network, the GREEN@COMMUNITY, comprising 11 Recycling Stations, 22 new Recycling Stores and over 100 mobile Recycling Spots. The network receives hundreds of thousands of visitors who practise clean recycling every month, collecting a monthly average of 1,100 tonnes of recyclables. The Government has also been taking a proactive role in launching collection services for various types of recyclables including glass containers, paper, plastics and food waste.

The legislation on municipal solid waste (MSW) charging was passed in August this year. To complement its implementation, the Government will deploy additional resources to support waste reduction and recycling at community level. Initiatives in the pipeline include setting up additional Recycling Stores, introducing Smart Recycling Systems, expanding the coverage of the pilot scheme on waste plastics collection and recycling, etc. The Government will also continue to invest in recycling facilities.

Our medium-term target is to raise the recovery rate to about 55% by implementing MSW charging and other waste reduction and recycling measures.

Raymond Wong,
Principal Environmental Protection Officer (Smart Recycling Network),
Environmental Protection Department