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A first batch of 11 housing estates has obtained funding from the Environment and Conservation Fund (ECF) to undertake on-site treatment of food waste in housing estates and encourage households to separate domestic food waste at source.
The ECF launched the $50 million scheme, Food Waste Recycling Projects in Housing Estates, in July this year. Eleven housing estates have been given funding support in the first phase, with a total allocation of about $9 million. This will subsidise housing estates for procuring on-site food waste treatment facilities and introducing relevant supporting facilities and services.
"Under this scheme, funds will be granted to support participating housing estates to install on-site food waste treatment facilities. They will also be subsidised and encouraged to partner with non-governmental organisations to organise associated education and promotion programmes for residents," a spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said today (November 30).
The EPD will provide help-desk services to housing estates during the planning and implementation of the scheme including offering technical advice and conducting performance evaluations.
"The scheme has received a very positive response from housing estates. Over 30 applications had been received by early November, of which 11 housing estates were short-listed by the ECF Waste Recovery Projects Vetting Subcommittee for participating in the first phase of the scheme," the spokesman said.
"These estates constitute a good mix of characteristics in terms of geographical distribution, age and development types and property management companies, etc. We hope to roll out the second phase of the scheme after gathering the necessary data and experience. We aim to further extend the scheme after summing up the experience in recovery and treatment of food waste on-site in housing estates. In the meantime, we will closely monitor the progress of the scheme and continue with publicity and education on food waste reduction," he said.
It is anticipated that on-site food waste treatment facilities will be installed at the 11 housing estates for operation by the first quarter of next year. Each facility will turn 50 to 100 kilogrammes of source-separated food waste each day into compost that will be used for landscape applications. At the same time, associated education and promotion programmes will be launched for the residents to encourage their active participation and raise awareness toward food waste reduction and recovery.
Food waste accounts for about one-third (i.e. 3,000 tonnes) of municipal solid waste disposed of at landfills every day, of which about 2,000 tonnes of food waste are produced by domestic households. The disposal of food waste at the landfills depletes valuable landfill space. To tackle the food waste disposal problem, the Government's strategy is to avoid and to minimise food waste generation, and to recycle the food waste that is still generated and use it as a useful resource.
The funding scheme is part of the Government's strategy to tackle food waste, coupled with the organic waste treatment facilities being developed and other efforts to encourage food waste reduction.
More information on application procedures for the funding scheme is available on the ECF website at www.ecf.gov.hk.
Ends/Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Issued at HKT 15:35
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