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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) held the anniversary celebration for the voluntary producer responsibility schemes (PRSs) at East Point City in Tseung Kwan O today (December 3) to commend different sectors for their full support given to various programmes under the voluntary PRSs.
"PRSs are important to the waste management strategy in Hong Kong. Various programmes under the voluntary PRSs have received support from different sectors of the community. These have substantially raised public awareness of recycling computers, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), fluorescent tubes and rechargeable batteries," the Under Secretary for the Environment, Dr Kitty Poon, said at the ceremony.
PRSs are an important policy initiative to encourage waste reduction and recycling. They aim to share financial or practical responsibility among different stakeholders. Through applying the polluter-pays principle, specific products can be properly collected, treated and disposed of so as to minimise the impact on the environment. Depending on the specific nature of individual products, the relevant stakeholders may include producers, importers, brand agents, wholesalers, retailers and consumers.
Dr Poon expressed gratitude to all the producers, importers and retailers participating in the voluntary PRSs as well as numerous housing estates, shops and malls for providing recycling points free of charge. She said their exemplary support demonstrated the spirit of sharing product eco-responsibility among different stakeholders, their social responsibility and their commitment to the environment.
The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Programme was the first voluntary PRS. From its launch in March 2005 and up to the end of October this year, 278 tonnes of rechargeable batteries have been recycled. Building on such success, the Computer Recycling Programme and the Fluorescent Lamp Recycling Programme were rolled out in January and March 2008 respectively. As at the end of October this year, the two programmes had recycled about 70 000 pieces of computer equipment and 1.22 million CFLs and fluorescent tubes.
The above three programmes are subsidised and managed by the relevant trades. The EPD has been actively promoting various programmes and expanding the collection network to facilitate participation by the public, and it will continue to carry out the relevant work. For more details, please visit www.wastereduction.gov.hk.
Ends/Saturday, December 3, 2011
Issued at HKT 15:42
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