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The Steering Committee to Promote Sustainable Development of Recycling Industry chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Carrie Lam, visited the Sha Tin Community Green Station (CGS) and two local recycling companies today (May 19).
During the tour of the Sha Tin CGS, Mrs Lam and members of the Steering Committee were briefed on the functions it serves, which include strengthening environmental education, enhancing green living in the community, and providing logistics support for recycling of materials with lower economic value. The Sha Tin CGS, which is the first facility of its kind in Hong Kong, was opened on May 12.
Mrs Lam said, "The Government will continue to demonstrate its commitment and leadership to tackle the city's waste challenge by pushing ahead with measures to promote waste reduction and recycling as set out in the Blueprint for Sustainable Use of Resources 2013-2022. The Steering Committee to Promote Sustainable Development of the Recycling Industry, which I chair, will strengthen collaboration among relevant bureaux and departments to promote development of the trade."
During the visit to local recyclers, the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, and the Secretary for Development, Mr Paul Chan, as well as members of the Steering Committee were briefed on the local operations of collection and recycling. They also discussed with local recyclers the Government's initiatives to promote sustainable development of the recycling industries, including the proposal to set up a $1 billion Recycling Fund, enhancing the network of community collection points for recyclables, and promoting technological research, training and development of the workforce.
The Chief Executive announced in the 2014 Policy Address that the Government plans to develop a CGS in each of the 18 districts and provide funding for their operation, and to earmark $1 billion for the setting up of the Recycling Fund. Following the commissioning of the Sha Tin CGS, the second CGS located in Eastern District will soon be completed. Suitable sites have been identified in nine other districts and the relevant CGS projects are at different stages of construction or planning. The proposed Recycling Fund aims to enhance the capacity of the recycling industry and improve the operational efficiency of recyclers. The proposed funding scheme has been discussed at the Legislative Council (LegCo) Environmental Affairs Panel and will be launched after funding approval by the Finance Committee of LegCo.
Set up in 2013, the Steering Committee is chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration and comprises representatives from eight bureaux, namely the Environment Bureau, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the Education Bureau, the Development Bureau, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, the Food and Health Bureau, the Labour and Welfare Bureau and the Transport and Housing Bureau, as well as the Home Affairs Department and the Information Services Department, which are responsible for district collaboration and promotion and publicity respectively.
Ends/Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Issued at HKT 18:59
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