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LCQ17: Reducing the amount of packaging materials
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     Following is a question by Hon Kam Nai-wai and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau, in the Legislative Council today (May 20):

Question:

     It has been reported that most of the toy eggs (commonly known as "twisted eggs") which are on sale in the market will eventually be discarded at landfills, which not only increases the burden on landfills, but also results in wastage.  Moreover, the packaging materials of other products (e.g. mooncake boxes, Chinese New Year gift packaging) also produce a lot of waste. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) whether it knows the respective numbers of toy eggs which were recovered and discarded at landfills in the past three years, as well as the current number of retailers or manufacturers who provide recovering services for toy eggs;

(b) of the situation of various kinds of packaging materials being discarded at landfills in the past five years, and whether it has requested manufacturers to use less packaging materials, so as not to increase the burden on landfills;

(c) whether it has studied bringing toy eggs and packaging materials within the ambit of the Product Eco-responsibility Ordinance (Cap. 603), and considered imposing environmental levies on toy eggs and packaging materials; if so, of the details; and

(d) apart from carrying out public education, whether it will consider adopting other measures (including requiring manufacturers to use recyclable materials, and requiring manufacturers and retailers to recover toy eggs and packaging materials), so as to reduce the amount of packaging materials discarded at landfills; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

(a) No statistics on the disposal or recovery of toy eggs (commonly known as "twisted eggs") is available from the Environmental Protection Department (EPD).  At present, some retail outlets with toy eggs vending machines provide recovery services for toy eggs.  The current Programme on Source Separation of Waste and the waste separation facilities also enable members of the public to recover and recycle toy eggs.

(b) Packaging materials do not form a separate category under EPD's statistics for waste separation.  In general, carton boxes/paper, plastic bags/containers, glass containers and metal containers can be used as packaging materials or food/beverage containers.  The annex shows the quantities of the above materials disposed of at landfills over the past five years according to EPD.

     The Government has been, through publicity and education, encouraged the trade to reduce at source and recycle waste.  EPD also calls on and assists the local manufacturers and the respective trades in launching waste reduction programmes targeting individual packaging materials.  Since 2005, EPD has provided mooncake manufacturers with environmental guidelines on packaging design with a view to reducing packaging waste and facilitating recycling.  Last year, EPD and major mooncake manufacturers entered into the Voluntary Agreement on Management of Mooncake Packaging.  In parallel, EPD also collaborated with the trade to launch a recovery programme for mooncake containers during the Mid-Autumn Festival so as to strengthen the environmental management of the packaging materials for mooncakes.  In addition, EPD has collaborated with green groups to launch the Green Festival through the public education and partnership programme for the "Policy Framework for the Management of Municipal Solid Waste (2005-2014)" under the Environment and Conservation Fund.  The activities include promotional campaigns on reducing festive wrapping paper during Christmas and Lunar New Year, to encourage retailers and the public to reduce avoidable festive packaging for waste reduction at source.

(c) In 2008, the Product Eco-responsibility Ordinance (the "Ordinance") was enacted by the Legislative Council.  It provides the legal basis for introducing producer responsibility schemes (PRS's) on various products.  The Product Eco-responsibility (Plastic Shopping Bags) Regulation was passed by the Legislative Council on April 23, 2009.  The environmental levy scheme on plastic shopping bags, the first PRS under the Ordinance, is expected to be implemented in July this year.  The Government will then study the possibility of introducing a mandatory PRS for electrical and electronic products.  We intend to consult the public and the trade on the proposed legislation in 2009.  The arrangement to bring other products (including packaging materials) within the ambit of the Ordinance will be reviewed; and

(d) Apart from introducing mandatory PRS's by legislation, EPD has by various means been implementing measures to reduce the disposal quantities of packaging materials.

     On reducing the disposal quantities, more commonly used packaging materials (such as paper, plastics and metals) are generally recyclable, whereby the current Programme on Source Separation of Waste and the waste separation facilities enable members of the public to recover and recycle these materials.  Separately, we have been promoting and supporting the voluntary recovery programmes for packaging materials launched by the trade.  In addition to the recovery programme for mooncake containers mentioned above, EPD and the Hong Kong Hotels Association are jointly promoting a voluntary Glass Container Recycling Programme for the Hotel Sector, in order to further boost recovery and re-use of glass.  We will consider feasible ways to extend the recovery of glass containers to more hotels and other sectors.  

     Enshrining the "polluter-pays" principle, the Government will implement various policy tools to provide economic incentives to induce behavioural changes in the public to reduce the generation of waste.  However, we cannot solely rely on legislative means to regulate the entire process from production to disposal of the vast variety of consumer products available in the market.  Public participation is important for successful waste reduction and recycling.  While consumers have free choices of products, we hope that members of the public would change the habit of excessive consumption, and would consider the environmental aspects when making purchases of consumer products.  This may help induce the manufacturers to reduce excessive packaging.  

Ends/Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Issued at HKT 15:20

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