************************************************************
The Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, today (April 4) continued his visit to Korea, learning more about its environmental facilities and policies and the local development of green social enterprises.
Mr Wong first visited the Gangbuk waste recycling and treatment centre, which is located in a cave and treats 60 tonnes of varied recyclables per day. Mr Wong toured the plants in the centre to see for himself the required processes for treating different types of recyclables. He was pleased to see that the centre could properly treat the recyclables collected and turn them into usable resources for local use or exporting to other countries.
He then visited the country's first and leading green social enterprise, the Beautiful Store, to learn more about how it successfully promotes recycling in its daily operation. The Beautiful Store runs more than 100 shops across the nation, selling donated products to promote a culture of resource circulation and recycling. It also helps provide opportunities for the public as well as the commercial sector to get involved in recycling and other environmentally friendly activities, and to care for the grass-root communities. Mr Wong looked forward to this type of business in Hong Kong to mobilise community support to resource circulation.
In the afternoon, Mr Wong called on the Vice-Minister of the Environment, Mr Jeong Yeon-man, to exchange views on environmental issues. He was also briefed on the vision, mission and strategies for waste management in Korea.
Mr Wong will continue to inspect other waste treatment projects and facilities tomorrow. He will conclude his visit and return to Hong Kong tomorrow evening.
Ends/Thursday, April 4, 2013
Issued at HKT 18:28
NNNN
