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Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, on "Hong Kong: Blueprint for Sustainable Use of Resources 2013-2022" after attending a radio programme this morning (May 25):
ReporterĄG I noted that in your latest blueprint, you want to boost the recycling rate. Are you going to install more recycling bins in old residential buildings? If you don't do that, we will never be able to achieve that goal.
Secretary for the Environment: The question is about how to expand the provision of recycling bins in residential areas especially those in the older areas. I think this is the way forward for Hong Kong to build up these facilities. On the one hand, when we are talking about volume-based waste charging, people have increasing demand for such facilities so that they can contribute to recycling and can reduce their charging opportunity at the same time. Currently, Hong Kong is having 80 per cent coverage of recycling bins in residential areas. So, we would take these two to three years to fill the gap so that everyone can help contribute to recycling in the residential areas.
Reporter: What about recycling food waste in old residential buildings?
Secretary for the Environment: Regarding food waste, we are generating a large amount of food waste not only from the commercial areas, but also from the residential areas. Hong Kong is currently without agriculture so the way to handle food waste is more challenging than other cities. Having said that, we are building a facility, we call that organic waste treatment facilities, one on Lantau Island and the other in the northern part of the New Territories. They can handle in total 500 tonnes per day. We are also seeking new sites so that we can expand these provisions. At the same time, in the EcoPark, we have a site that would turn food waste into fish feed. So there will be alternative ways to increase the use of food waste. But all these facilities would take time for commissioning. We have to take a step-by-step approach so that over the time, we can help absorb those collected food waste in an increasing amount, but it will take time.
Reporter: On landfills, are you telling residents to sacrifice themselves and consider Hong Kong's interests first because you are expanding the landfill in Tseung Kwan O and they are not very happy about it.
Secretary for the Environment: What I am saying is that we understand their concern, so we would try to respond to the local concerns as much as we can. For instance, they are concerned about the smell, so our response is to only transfer the construction waste to the concerned landfill so that the root problem about smell could be cured. They are concerned about the amount of refuse lorries, so through these changes in refuse transfer, the total number of refuse lorries going to that area would be reduced by about 50 per cent. And with that, the air pollution concern etc. could also be reduced accordingly. We understand their concerns and would like to meet their needs as much as we can so that we can strike a balance.
Reporter: Should they consider Hong Kong's interests first rather than their home?
Secretary for the Environment: Similar to everyone in Hong Kong, we should consider both the territorial concern and also local needs. It is challenging, but as a responsible Hong Kong citizen, we have to consider both.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Saturday, May 25, 2013
Issued at HKT 13:21
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