600 housing estates join year-end WEEE recycling programme to help residents go green (with photos)
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     With the end of the lunar year approaching, households are gearing up for New Year celebrations. One of the most important tasks is the year-end clean up. To tie in with this practice, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) organises the "Chinese New Year (CNY) WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment) Recycling Collection Services" annually and the event starts in good time to serve the public. This year 600 housing estates have signed up to help residents to properly recycle their WEEE and practise "Use Less, Waste Less" through direct participation.

     The CNY WEEE Recycling Collection Services programme aims to help the local community to properly recycle their WEEE, computers, rechargeable batteries, fluorescent lamps and tubes intended for disposal. The collected items will be repaired and refurbished by recognised recycling programmes and then donated to the needy. Some items will be dismantled so that reusable components and materials can be recovered.

     An EPD spokesman said, "The EPD has organised year-end recovery activities for nine consecutive years. We have received an overwhelming response this year with 600 housing estates signing up, which is 50 per cent more than last year's enrolment of 400 estates. These include all public rental estates of Hong Kong Housing Authority and all rental estates and managed properties of Hong Kong Housing Society, as well as private housing estates and government quarters." Please refer to the list of participating estates in the annex.

     The EPD has distributed publicity materials to participating estates to facilitate their promotion to residents. To enhance the public's awareness of proper WEEE recycling, the EPD has also promulgated its message via other publicity platforms. Starting tomorrow (January 26), three weeks before the CNY, the EPD will arrange for free collection of WEEE items from the participating estates and their delivery to the following three organisations for proper treatment:

(1) Caritas-HK Computer Workshop;

(2) WEEE Go Green organised by St James' Settlement; and

(3) The Computer Recycling Programme, Rechargeable Battery Recycling Programme and Fluorescent Lamp Recycling Programme managed by the Hong Kong WEEE Recycling Association.

     The EPD spokesman added that members of the public who would like to get further information about the collection service can check with their property management. For those housing estates which are interested in this activity, their property management can contact the EPD (Tel: 2838 3111) to make arrangements. Those who do not have property management at their place of residence can consider other collection channels. Details are available at www.wastereduction.gov.hk

     The Government has been actively promulgating the proper recovery of used WEEE through various voluntary recycling programmes and collection services. Looking ahead, the Government will introduce producer responsibility schemes (PRS) through legislation to properly recycle five types of locally generated WEEE, namely washing machines, refrigerators, air-conditioners, television sets and computer products such as computers, printers, scanners and monitors. The Government will submit the legislative proposal to the Legislative Council (LegCo) this legislative year. In parallel, the Public Works Subcommittee of the LegCo gave support to the Environment Bureau on January 23 for the development of a WEEE Treatment and Recycling Facility at EcoPark in Tuen Mun to ensure sufficient handling capacity for the collected WEEE under the PRS. The Environment Bureau will further seek funding support from the Finance Committee. The collected WEEE will be properly recycled into reusable components and materials, thus turning waste into resources.

     For further information on the programme, please visit the webpage: www.wastereduction.gov.hk/en/workplace/cny_weee.htm

Ends/Sunday, January 25, 2015
Issued at HKT 14:02

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