*********************************************************
Following is a question by the Hon Lee Cheuk-yan and an oral reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, in the Legislative Council meeting today (November 26):
Question:
Regarding waste disposal, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the progress and effectiveness of the pilot scheme on the separate collection of wet and dry wastes launched by the Administration this year;
(b) whether it has made a comparison of the various waste disposal methods, such as landfilling, incineration and recovery, in terms of their costs, requisite technologies, numbers and types of jobs that can be created, as well as their impact on sustainable development; if so, of the results of the comparison; and
(c) of the measures to promote the development of the waste recovery industry, with a view to creating more jobs for the grass roots?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) The wet/dry waste sorting pilot scheme was launched in March this year in four housing estates in the Eastern District on Hong Kong Island. It will last for 12 months. Under the pilot scheme, dry waste is separately collected and delivered to a designated site for re-sorting, and this is done at the Eastern Waste Recycling Station where recyclables would be recovered for recycling purpose.
The pilot scheme has been implemented for eight months. The average amount of dry waste collected was about one tonne per day, with a recovery rate of about 20 per cent. The separated dry waste was sold to recyclers by tender, which proves that properly sorted recyclables have values in the market. The organisation responsible for the pilot scheme has stepped up publicity to encourage more residents to participate in the scheme. A review will be carried out upon completion of the pilot scheme to examine the feasibility, logistics and cost-effectiveness of this form of waste recovery. We hope that we can work out a model which is very much market-operated.
(b) To address the waste problem so as to achieve the target of sustainable development, we could not rely on any single waste disposal method alone, but need to have a comprehensive and consistent waste management strategy with due consideration of all relevant factors.
Waste in Hong Kong is collected by Government and private waste collectors. The waste collected is first delivered to the refuse transfer stations for compression and then to the landfills in bulk; or delivered to the landfills direct for disposal. In order to reduce the waste requiring disposal at landfills, so as to prolong their life span, we have been actively promoting waste separation at source. At present, commercial and industrial waste is mainly collected by cleansing contractors and then delivered to recyclers. Moreover, the public may separate and recover waste by making use of the waste separation bins placed in public places and public/private housing estates, or through various waste separation pilot schemes, such as wet/dry waste sorting and plastic bottles collection schemes. Recovered materials sorted and collected through various means will eventually be delivered to recyclers for processing. As there are only a few local recyclers actually carrying out recycling work locally (e.g. waste tyres and waste paper recycling) and some small-scale operations, most of the materials recovered are for export after processing.
Waste prevention and recovery could help relieve the pressure in the handling of waste, thus prolonging the life span of landfills. However, Government still needs to carefully assess the waste disposal capacity of the existing landfills, and to examine the feasibility of extending the existing landfills or developing new ones, as well as adopting new waste treatment technologies.
In this regard, Government invited, in April 2002, expression of interest from the local and international waste management industry for various technology options to develop large-scale waste treatment facility(ies) in Hong Kong. We also set up an advisory group, comprising mainly non-officials, in late 2002 to assist Government in evaluating the proposals received. The group is now evaluating the various technology options and will make recommendations to the Government on viable technology(ies) for public consultation purpose. Separately, we have commenced a study to explore the feasibility of extending the existing landfills and identifying new landfill sites.
According to the available information, the recycling industry is currently hiring some 3,000 employees, and involving another 20,000 employees/casual labour (e.g. cleansers). Separately, for the three existing landfills, their construction cost is about $6 billion and the recurrent expenditure is around $470 million per year. Moreover, about 50 professional/technical staff and 280 labourers are being employed. Since landfills are the only major waste treatment facilities available in Hong Kong, and the cost of the large-scale waste treatment facility(ies) to be developed, as well as the number and types of jobs thereby created will depend on the technology(ies) adopted eventually, we cannot make a comparison of the various waste disposal methods at this stage. Together with the Commerce, Industry and Technology Bureau we are examining, through industrial development, ways to turn recovered materials into useable materials. This would involve importation of high technology and investment, which is conducive to the development of green industry. We consider that the green industry has immence development potential and is actually a newly-developing industry in the Mainland.
(c) We have put in place the following measures to facilitate and promote waste recovery, which would in turn create job opportunities in the recycling industry -
(1) Continuously supporting and promoting various waste recovery business and community activities, and trying out different forms of waste recovery methods, including the wet/dry waste sorting pilot scheme, and the placement of waste separation bins in public places and public/private housing estates;
(2) Strengthening public education and publicity on waste recovery;
(3) Providing suitable land for lease to the recycling industry.;
(4) Planning for the establishment of a 20-hectare Recovery Park in Tuen Mun to provide long-term land for recycling operation; and
(5) Injecting $100 million into the Environment and Conservation Fund, primarily for district organisations and green groups to organise community waste recovery projects.
Moreover, depending on the cost-effectiveness of and the supporting facilities required for wet/dry waste sorting, we will consider applying this form of waste recovery on a larger scale, which could on the one hand reduce the burden on landfills, and on the other hand provide more employment opportunities for green collar workers in the longer-term. We have started examining the mandatory producer responsibility schemes. We will explore how to develop such schemes for the highly polluting products (e.g. batteries), and to make use of technology for recycling.
It must be noted, however, that job creation will be affected by other factors. For example, as the amount of recyclable increases, some recyclers may adopt automation and technology-intensive equipment to enhance the cost-effectiveness and viability of the business. If they no longer rely on the current labour-intensive process, the demand for manpower may decrease. Another factor that may have an impact on job creation is the possibility of displacement. For instance, recyclers with large scale technology-based plants may drive the small recyclers out of market, which will in turn affect the number and types of jobs available in the industry. Moreover, according to the available information, the recycling industry already has spare capacity at the moment and can handle 30 per cent more recyclables. Therefore, further development of the industry may not increase employment opportunities instantly and significantly and we have to keep an eye on the situation more cautiously.
Ends/Wednesday, November 26, 2003
NNNN
