The Office of the Ombudsman today (September 12) released a report on its direct investigation into the illegal disposal problem and the "HoHoSkips" recycling service for construction waste.
 
     A spokesperson for the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said, "The Department's efforts in combating the illegal disposal of construction waste in recent years have shown significant results. The amount of illegally disposed construction waste cleared by the Government has significantly decreased from the peak of around 9 000 tonnes in 2017 to about 1 000 tonnes between 2022 and 2024 (see Annex), representing a reduction of about 89 per cent. In some previous illegal disposal blackspots, such as the areas around Arran Street in Mong Kok and Wang Wo Tsai Street in Tsuen Wan, the reduction in the amount of illegally disposed construction waste has even exceeded 90 per cent."
 
     The Office has recognised the EPD's efforts and effectiveness in combating the illegal disposal of construction waste, as well as its use of smart technology to assist law enforcement. The report suggested a series of measures to further enhance the effectiveness of combating the illegal disposal of construction waste and the "HoHoSkips" service.
 
     The EPD expressed its appreciation for the suggestions and will actively follow up in five directions, namely, reviewing ways to strengthen enforcement against illegal disposal of construction waste; strengthening promotional efforts on proper handling of construction waste; reviewing and enhancing the "HoHoSkips" service to increase efficiency, including the expansion of the "Smart HoHoSkips" recycling service; optimising the "HoHoSkips" mobile application and webpage; and collecting feedback from users to improve the "HoHoSkips" service.
 
     The EPD will continue to regularly review the operational data of the surveillance camera systems and related intelligence, and flexibly adjust the system distribution. It will also continue to deploy law enforcement actions and carry out promotional activities in areas with frequent small-scale renovation works and building maintenance activities, aiming to strengthen deterrence, improve enforcement efficiency and increase prosecution success rates. Moreover, the EPD has already initiated follow-up actions with the respective recycling organisation to implement enhancement measures for the "HoHoSkips" service as soon as possible to improve users' experience.

Ends/Friday, September 12, 2025
Issued at HKT 11:12

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