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A trial recovery programme for mooncake containers was launched today (September 12) to raise public awareness about waste recycling.

Officiating at the kick-off ceremony of the programme, the Director of Environmental Protection, Mr Rob Law, called on the public to recycle mooncake containers to help reduce waste and protect the environment.

He said collection booths for mooncake containers had been set up at 14 popular shopping centres to recover both paper and tin mooncake containers.

As an incentive, a coupon will be given to every person who hands in a clean mooncake container at the collection booths.

The coupon can be used at designated restaurant and food outlets up to the end of this month. They offer concessions such as a 10 per cent discount or free dessert, depending on the participating restaurant.

The booths open from 11 am to 8 pm on September 12, 13, 14, 20 and 21.

Jointly organised by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades (HKFORT), and the Association of Restaurant Managers (ARM), the trial is part of the EPD's ongoing partnership programme with the restaurant trade.

Details of the trial can be found on the EPD website at www.epd.gov.hk and the Green Restaurant Website at www.greenrestaurant-hk.org.

Enquiries can be made by calling the EPD's Customer Service Centre at 2838 3111 or the Green Restaurant Hotline at 2784 6638.

In support of the trial programme, Maxim's Group and a recycler are providing services to recover tin mooncake containers at about 160 residential estates and buildings, and nine Wellcome supermarkets. They house the recovery bins from September 11 to 30.

The public can call the Maxim's Group hotline at 2101 1333 for details.

The kick-off ceremony of the trial programme was held at Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong. Other officiating guests included the Chairman of the HKFORT, Mr Simon Wong; the Chairman of the ARM, Mr Ching Kei; and the head of the Chinese Programme Service of Radio Television Hong Kong, Ms Ava Wong.

End/Friday, September 12, 2003

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