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Following is a question by the Hon Frederick Fung and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, at the Legislative Council meeting today (December 14):
Question:
It has been reported that the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works had said recently that the Government would improve the waste separation and recovery system before considering imposing fees on the public for the disposal of solid waste. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the latest progress of various waste separation and recovery measures (such as the product responsibility scheme as well as promotional and public education measures) currently implemented in the community;
(b) whether it will consider offering tax and land lease concessions etc. to environmental protection and waste recovery industries, or setting up a loan fund, so as to support the development of these industries in Hong Kong; and
(c) how it will determine the fees payable by the public for the disposal of waste (for instance, on the basis of equal apportionment among all households in the territory or according to the amount of waste produced by each household) and whether, in determining the fees, it will ensure that such fees will not impose a heavy financial burden on grass-roots people, that there will be a fee waiver mechanism, and that it will avoid making waste collection arrangements which cause a nuisance to the public?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) To encourage the public to participate in waste recovery and reduction, the Government has been carrying out a series of publicity and public education programmes. Since its establishment in 1990, the Environmental Campaign Committee has organized various activities every year to raise the environmental awareness among the public, including the World Environment Day, Environmental Protection Festival, Green School Award and Hong Kong Eco-Business Award. The Committee has also organised waste recovery activities jointly with community groups to encourage the public to reduce waste and separate recyclables for recovery.
In addition, the Government has placed over 27 000 waste separation bins throughout the territory to encourage public participation in waste separation for recycling. The waste separation bins are placed at public places and housing estates, covering about 70% of the population. Apart from this, the Government has been testing out various ways of waste separation and recovery with a view to identify the most convenient and cost-effective modes that best suit local needs.
In March 2003, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) introduced a one-year wet-and-dry garbage sorting pilot scheme at four housing estates in the Island Eastern District. The recovery rate achieved by the participating estates is 12% more than the estates implementing the 3-colour recyclable-bin scheme alone. Although the response is good, the cost is quite high which makes it difficult to be promoted widely. Having obtained valuable experience from the programme, EPD improved the scheme of recovering domestic waste and, in August this year, launched the Pilot Programme on Source Separation of Waste in 13 housing estates in the Island Eastern District, involving about 120 000 people in some 37 000 households. The objectives of the pilot programme are to assist residents in separating waste at source by providing waste separation facilities on each floor of a building, and to broaden the types of recyclables to be recovered in order to further increase the recovery rate and reduce waste. In view of the positive results of the pilot programme, the Government is planning to expand the scope of the programme and to carry out a large-scale publicity campaign early next year to encourage all members of the public to separate waste at home to facilitate recycling.
The Government is examining the possibility of introducing product responsibility schemes for different products, including vehicle tyres, rechargeable batteries, electronic and electrical appliances and beverage containers with a view to reducing waste and promoting waste recovery in Hong Kong. Under these schemes, producers, importers, retailers and consumers are required to share the responsibility for properly managing their products at the post-consumption stage. The Government will carefully assess the costs and benefits of different options for such schemes and their impacts on stakeholders. The views of all sectors concerned will be considered. Meanwhile, EPD is exploring with the industry the possibility of implementing recovery proposals under such schemes. In April 2002, EPD launched a voluntary product responsibility scheme to recover and recycle mobile phone batteries. In the light of the experience gained from the scheme, EPD is discussing with the industry the possibility of expanding the scheme to cover all rechargeable batteries.
(b) The Government injected $100 million to the Environment and Conservation Fund (ECF) in 2002, mainly to provide funding support for community groups and green groups to implement recycling projects at the community level. The ECF also provides funding for research and development projects on waste reduction and recycling technologies, such as the use of recycled aggregate, the development of a plastic bottle shredder and the production of cement from recycled glass, to name just a few. People who wish to develop innovative ideas or upgrade the technological level of their companies can apply for funding from the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF). The development of "RubberSoil" is an example of the projects funded by the ITF under the Small Entrepreneur Research Assistance Programme. Recyclers can also seek assistance from relevant SME funding schemes under the Trade and Industry Department for business development.
Regarding the provision of land for recycling operations, the Lands Department (LandsD) will continue to lease land under short-term tenancies to recyclers. At present, 27 sites with a total area of about five hectares have been let to recyclers under this arrangement. This is an important measure to help recyclers who cannot afford to purchase private land to start up business and has been well-received by the industry. The LandsD will continue to identify more sites suitable for this purpose. In the long run, the Government is planning for the establishment of the Recovery Park at Tuen Mun Area 38 to provide long-term land for recycling operations and promote long-term development of the recycling industry. The 20-hectare Recovery Park will be developed in two phases, each covering an area of 10 hectares. The first phase is expected to be commissioned in 2006. The establishment of the Recovery Park will give momentum to the development of the recycling industry and create employment opportunities in the area.
(c) To further implement the polluter pays principle, the Government has proposed to introduce a construction waste disposal charging scheme. The Legislative Council (LegCo) passed the relevant Bill on 2 July 2004 and is scrutinizing two regulations that stipulate the operational details of the scheme. Subject to the passage of these regulations by the LegCo, the charging scheme is expected to be implemented in summer 2005.
Since a charging scheme for domestic waste will be more complicated and will have a wider effect on the community, the operational arrangements and charging methods of such a scheme will require careful study. We will draw on the valuable experience from the implementation of the construction waste disposal charging scheme when considering a municipal solid waste charging scheme. The Government will consult the public and stakeholders before making a final decision.
Ends/Wednesday, December 1, 2004
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