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The following is issued on behalf of the Environmental Campaign Committee:
Members of the Environmental Campaign Committee (ECC) Publicity Working Group today (January 9) visited a private housing estate in Sha Tin and a waste treatment and recycling centre in Fanling to see the operation of waste separation and recycling. They also called on members of the public to practise clean recycling to facilitate waste collection and recycling and help relieve the pressure on landfills.
During the visit to the housing estate to see its waste separation and collection for recycling, the Chairman of the ECC, Mr Lam Chiu-ying, noted that in order to effectively reduce waste at source, members of the public have to practise clean recycling to increase the quantity, quality and value of the recyclables, so as to facilitate greater recycling of waste.
Mr Lam pointed out that the recycling system in housing estates is the major channel of waste collection and recycling. Currently, waste separation facilities are provided at more than 2 000 housing estates, including 185 public housing estates, to enable residents to separate waste at source and increase waste recycling.
Mr Lam encouraged property management companies and owners' corporations to collaborate to promote among residents the message of clean recycling, in addition to providing waste separation facilities and organising waste recycling activities at the housing estates. Apart from enhancing the effectiveness of waste recycling and waste reduction, clean recycling can also allow for cleaner recyclables and waste separation bins, and thus ensure environmental hygiene, Mr Lam said.
Members of the ECC Publicity Working Group also inspected a public area en route to Fanling to learn more about the use of three-colour waste separation bins on streets. They later visited a waste treatment and recycling centre in Fanling, which is operated by a service contractor of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, to observe how recyclables collected from waste separation bins in public areas are properly sorted and treated to ensure that reusable materials can be turned into useful resources.
Mr Lam said, "Clean recyclables will not be disposed of at landfills. The cleaner the recyclables, the higher the chance that they can be recycled effectively. Members of the public are reminded to clean recyclables, and to keep composite materials, leftovers and used tissue paper out of three-colour waste separation bins. Proper recycling practices will not only improve the hygiene conditions of recyclable materials, but also help ensure that valuable resources can be effectively recycled for reuse."
Mr Lam encouraged members of the public to support waste recycling by making use of the waste separation facilities in housing estates and three-colour waste separation bins in public areas, and to integrate the practice of clean recycling into daily life.
Those accompanying the members of the ECC Publicity Working Group during the visit included representatives of the Environmental Protection Department and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.
Ends/Saturday, January 9, 2016
Issued at HKT 12:52
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