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Following is a question by the Hon Jeffrey Lam and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, in the Legislative Council today (June 18):
Question:
The Financial Secretary has indicated in his 2014-2015 Budget that in respect of the management of municipal solid waste, the Government will invest about $30 billion in infrastructure for waste recycling and treatment. In addition, the Government has earmarked $1 billion for the setting up of a Recycling Fund, which aims at promoting the sustainable development of the recycling industry. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the projects in which the aforesaid $30 billion will be invested; and the latest estimated expenditure for the various projects;
(2) according to the initial thinking of the Government, of the modus operandi of the Recycling Fund and the types of recyclers which may benefit from the Fund;
(3) whether it will consider providing concessions in rent or tax to local recyclers, with a view to increasing the proportion of waste recycled locally; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4) as quite a number of recyclers have relayed that they have difficulties in recruiting adequate manpower for those obnoxious duties such as waste recovery and separation, of the measures put in place by the Government to encourage more people to join the recycling industry?
Reply:
President,
(1) The Government will invest about $30 billion in waste recycling and treatment facilities over the next few years. The estimates of expenditure are set out in Annex.
(2) The Steering Committee to Promote the Sustainable Development of the Recycling Industry (the Steering Committee), chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration, has studied the operational framework of the Recycling Fund and solicited views from stakeholders in the process. The key objective of the Fund will be to facilitate the upgrading of the operational capabilities and efficiency of the recycling industry for sustainable development in order to achieve the policy objectives of waste reduction as stated in the Hong Kong Blueprint for Sustainable Use of Resources 2013-2022. A detailed proposal on the operation of the Fund will be submitted to the Panel on Environmental Affairs of the Legislative Council in July 2014.
(3) We have adopted a multi-pronged strategy in supporting the sustainable development of the recycling industry. The Government has been providing various forms of assistance to the industry. These include providing short-term tenancy sites for exclusive use by recyclers, developing the EcoPark in Tuen Mun to promote higher value-added recycling processes through the provision of long-term land at affordable cost, and identifying suitable berths in Public Cargo Working Areas for exclusive use by the recyclers. To improve the quantity and quality of recyclables collected so as to improve the efficiency of recycling processes, we have launched various community mobilisation and education programmes on the separation of waste at source. In addition, the provision of the various waste treatment facilities as set out in Annex in particular the waste electrical and electronic equipment treatment and recycling facility, organic waste treatment facilities and community green stations will help upgrade and develop the capabilities and business opportunities of the local recycling industry. We will also embark on a study on land requirement for supporting waste recycling industry with a view to developing a comprehensive policy which could meet the longer term land requirements of the recycling industry. In addition to formulating the implementation strategies for the Recycling Fund, the Steering Committee will continue to keep in view the effective implementation of these measures and develop other measures as necessary to promote the sustainable development of the recycling trade.
(4) The Government has maintained close liaison with the recycling trade on promoting training and development of the workforce for effective, safe and environmentally responsible recycling processes. Amongst the various measures being examined and planned, the Environmental Protection Department has been working in consultation with the Occupational Safety and Health Council on a proposal to develop a scheme for recyclers to enhance their safety standards and awareness of work safety measures. Under the proposed scheme, relevant training on safety, risk assessment and other technical support will be provided to practitioners in recycling operations. In parallel, Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency is exploring with the trade the introduction of a registration scheme for recyclers, with a view to enhancing standards of practice in the industry. These initiatives and those mentioned in the replies above will contribute to improvement in the work environment and opportunities of the workforce in the recycling industry.
Ends/Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Issued at HKT 14:49
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